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glucagon

[ gloo-kuh-gon ]
/ ˈglu kəˌgɒn /
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noun Biochemistry.
a hormone secreted by the pancreas that acts in opposition to insulin in the regulation of blood glucose levels.
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Origin of glucagon

1923; probably gluc- + Greek ágōn present participle of ágein to lead, drive; see -agogue

Words nearby glucagon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use glucagon in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for glucagon

glucagon
/ (ˈɡluːkəˌɡɒn, -ɡən) /

noun
a polypeptide hormone, produced in the pancreas by the islets of Langerhans, that stimulates the release of glucose into the bloodCompare insulin

Word Origin for glucagon

C20: from gluc (ose) + -agon, perhaps from Greek agein to lead
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for glucagon

glucagon
[ glōōkə-gŏn′ ]

A polypeptide hormone produced by the pancreas that stimulates an increase in blood glucose levels, thus opposing the action of insulin.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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