Q. How can bacteria produce human insulin on an industrial scale? What are the other forms of insulin made available by the pharmaceutical industry?

Bacteria don't naturally synthesize insulin. It is possible though, to implant human genetic material containing the insulin gene into the bacterial DNA. The mutant bacteria then multiply also produce human insulin. The insulin is purified and isolated for later commercialization. This biotechnology is called as the recombinant DNA technology.

Besides human insulin the pharmaceutical industry also produces insulin to be used by humans made from the pancreas of cows and pigs.