ScienceAugust 24, 2026
glucagon
GLOO-kuh-gon
Definition
A hormone produced in the pancreas that raises blood glucose levels by signaling the liver to release stored glucose.
Etymology
Coined in the 1920s, the word is derived from the Greek 'glukus' (sweet) and the suffix '-agon,' as it acts as an agonist that increases blood sugar.
In the news
The article mentions glucagon signalling as one of the multiple biological processes impacted by semaglutide alongside its effect on hunger neurons.
Scientists assumed semaglutide’s long-term effects would depend on silencing the brain’s hunger neurons. But a Yale-led study published in PNAS in August 2026 found that prolonged treatment recruited these neurons in female mice—and disrupting them w
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