What hormone is produced by the pancreas to raise blood sugar?

The hormone produced by the pancreas to raise blood sugar is glucagon. It is released by alpha cells in the pancreatic islets when blood glucose falls. Glucagon acts especially on the liver, prompting it to break down stored glycogen into glucose and release that glucose into the bloodstream.

The hormone also supports gluconeogenesis, the production of new glucose from non-carbohydrate materials, and helps shift the body toward using stored fat for energy. In this way, glucagon helps maintain blood-glucose homeostasis between meals, during fasting, and during exercise. Its main counterpart is insulin, which is released when blood sugar is high and generally lowers it by promoting glucose uptake and storage.

The name glucagon comes from “glucose agonist.” Researchers identified its blood-sugar-raising effect in pancreatic extracts in the early 1920s, shortly after insulin’s discovery. Glucagon is sometimes confused with adrenaline or cortisol, which can also influence blood glucose but are not the pancreas’s primary opposing hormone to insulin. Injectable glucagon is used as emergency treatment for severe low blood sugar.