<Li> Stimulates the uptake of glucose--Insulin decreases blood glucose concentration by inducing intake of glucose by the cell . This is possible because Insulin causes the insertion of the GLUT4 transporter in the cell membranes of muscle and fat tissues which allows glucose to enter the cell . </Li> <Li> Induce glycogen synthesis--When glucose levels are high, insulin induces the formation of glycogen by the activation of the hexokinase enzyme, which adds a phosphates group in glucose, thus resulting in a molecule that cannot exit the cell . At the same time, insulin inhibits the enzyme glucose - 6 - phosphatase, which removes the phosphate group . These two enzymes are key for the formation of glycogen . Also, insulin activates the enzymes phosphofructokinase and glycogen synthase which are responsible of glycogen synthesis . </Li> <Li> Increased potassium uptake--forces cells synthesizing glycogen (a very spongy, "wet" substance, that increases the content of intracellular water, and its accompanying K ions) to absorb potassium from the extracellular fluids; lack of insulin inhibits absorption . Insulin's increase in cellular potassium uptake lowers potassium levels in blood plasma . This possibly occurs via insulin - induced translocation of the Na+ / K+ - ATPase to the surface of skeletal muscle cells . </Li> <Li> Decreased gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis--decreases production of glucose from noncarbohydrate substrates, primarily in the liver (the vast majority of endogenous insulin arriving at the liver never leaves the liver); increase of insulin causes glucose production by the liver from assorted substrates . </Li>

Effect of insulin on glucose uptake and metabolism