THE DISCOVERY OF INSULINThe scientific discovery of insulin changed the entire world and gave hope to all diabetic patients. Before insulin was discovered, people with diabetes ended up dying, but now with the availability of insulin, diabetic patients live normal lives. However, during the 19th century, observations of deceased patients showed that they had damaged pancreases. So in 1869, Paul Langerhans, a medical student, discovered that there were groups of cells within the pancreatic tissue but their main functions were unknown. Further analysis showed that some of the cells were insulin-producing beta cells. These cells were called islets of Langerhans. (Ainsberg, 2010) In 1889, two physiologists Oskar Minkowski and Joseph Von Mering also demonstrated that when the pancreas is removed from a dog it becomes ill with diabetes, but if the duct through which pancreatic juice flows to the intestine was surgically closed to prevent the juice from reaching the intestine, it nourished it. This would lead to the pancreas losing its functionality. In this way, cells known to produce the antidiabetic secretion could be separated from the pancreas. (Bliss, 2007)In 1920, Banting, after reading an article on the pancreas, had the idea of an experimental procedure. The idea was to tie off the pancreatic ducts to isolate an internal secretion. He took his idea to Professor Macleod of the University of Toronto. In 1921, Dr. Banting was assigned a laboratory, dogs, and a laboratory assistant (Best) to demonstrate his idea. (The Discoverer, 1932) They began the experiment by taking the pancreas from a dog. After the pancreas was removed from the first dog, his glucose level increased, he drank a lot of water in the middle of a sheet of paper......The team has now extended the test to other diabetic volunteers and they also everyone reacted positively. In 1923 their work was rewarded so Banting and Macleod received a Noble prize in physiologyBibliographyAinsberg, TC a. A., 2010. Discovery: 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. sl Mitchell Lane Publishers.Bliss, M., 2007. The discovery of insulin. 25th anniversary edition ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Jurdjevic M, TC, 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 CAG Matthews. Toronto: VHS cassette, Banting Collection.
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