insulin

THE DISCOVERY OF INSULIN

The scientific discovery of insulin has changed the entire world and has given hope to all diabetic patients. Before insulin was discovered, people with diabetics ended up dying but now with the availability of insulin, diabetic patients live a normal life.

However, during the nineteenth century, observations carried on death patients proved that they had a damaged pancreas. So in 1869, Paul Langerhans a medical student found out that there were groups of cells within the pancreatic tissue but their main functions were unknown. Further analysis proved that some of the cells were insulin-producing beta cells. These cells were named as islets of Langerhans. (Ainsberg, 2010)

In 1889, two physiologists Oskar Minkowski and Joseph Von Mering also proved that when the pancreas is removed from a dog it gets diabetes but if the duct through which the pancreatic juice flow to the intestine was surgically tied off to prevent the juice from reaching the intestine, it nourished. This would lead to the pancreas losing its functionality. By doing so, the cells that were known of producing anti diabetic secretion could be separated from pancreas. (Bliss, 2007)

In 1920, Banting after reading an article about the pancreas came to the idea of an experimental procedure. This idea was to tie the pancreatic ducts in order to isolate an internal secretion. He took his idea to Professor Macleod of the University of Toronto. In 1921, Dr. Banting was given a laboratory and dogs as well as a laboratory assistant (Best) to prove his idea. (The discoverer, 1932)

They started the experiment by taking out the pancreas from a dog. After the pancreas was taken out from the first dog, its glucose level rose, it drank a lot of water a...

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...The team now extended their test to other volunteer diabetics and they all reacted positively as well.

In 1923 their work was rewarded so Banting and Macleod received a Nobile prize in physiology

Bibliography

Ainsberg, T. C. a. A., 2010. Breakthrough: Elizabeth Huges, the discovery of insulin and the making of a medical miracle.. New York: St. Martin's press.

Bankston, J., 2001. Federick Banting and the discovery of Insulin. 2nd ed. s.l. Mitchell Lane Publishers.

Bliss, M., 2007. The discovery of insulin. 25th anniversary edition ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Jurdjevic M, T. C., 2004. E. C. Noble in June 1921, and his account of the discovery of insulin. Bull Hist Med..

Tattersall, R., 2009. Diabetes: The biography. New York: Oxford University Press.

The discoverer. 1932. [Film] Directed by C.A.G Matthews. Toronto: VHS tape, Banting Collection.