Insulin regulates cellular metabolic reactions by its action on the plasma membrane, intracellular enzymes and the nucleus. The first stage in the propagation of the insulin signal is the coupling of insulin to specific receptors at the cell surface. The exact mechanism whereby the transmembrane signalling mechanism (s) results in different insulin-mediated cellular effects is not known. However, the insulin receptor tyrosine kinase, the expression of second messengers, and the action of protein kinase C may, either individually or in combination, mediate some of the insulin effects, such as translocation and activation of glucose transporter proteins. Insulin resistance in clinical conditions such as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), hypertension and obesity may be acquired to a large extent, and is thus partially reversible. Regulatory factors in insulin sensitivity, such as free fatty acids, counterregulatory hormones and blood glucose level, play an important role in the metabolic control and pathogenesis of insulin resistance in man.