4 steps on how insulin works to move glucose into cells

Cells obtain energy from glucose or convert it to fat for long-term storage. Like a key fits into a lock, insulin binds to receptors on the cell's surface, causing GLUT4 molecules to come to the cell's surface. As their name implies, glucose transporter proteins act as vehicles to ferry glucose inside the cell.

After you eat, your blood sugar (glucose) rises. This rise in glucose triggers your pancreas to release insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin travels through the blood to your body's cells. It tells the cells to open up and let the glucose in.

In response, the pancreas produces  insulin, which manages the muscle and fat cells to take in glucose. Cells obtain energy from glucose or convert it to fat for long-term storage.