A Scientific Breakthrough: The Discovery of Insulin
TORONTO, Canada — In 1921, a research team at the University of Toronto began experiments on pancreatic extracts that helped lay the groundwork for insulin treatment. Dr. Frederick Banting, a Canadian surgeon, and Charles Best, a medical student, worked with Professor John Macleod; biochemist James Collip joined later to improve the extract. Their combined work helped develop a pancreatic extract that could be used to treat diabetes.
Before insulin became an effective treatment, doctors often used strict, low-calorie diets to manage diabetes. The diet reduced the amount of food patients could eat and often left them with too little energy. Many became very weak and faced life-threatening complications.
Dr. Banting investigated the pancreas, an organ located behind the stomach, because he thought it might produce a substance that regulated blood sugar. He believed digestive enzymes might damage this internal secretion. He proposed tying the ducts that carry digestive enzymes, hoping the cells that produced them would shrink while the insulin-producing islet cells remained. He and Best investigated this idea with dogs.
- breakthrough:
- An important discovery or achievement that helps solve a difficult problem.
- pancreas:
- An organ behind the stomach that produces chemicals to digest food and regulate blood sugar.
- regulated:
- Controlled or kept at a proper level or speed.
- persistent:
- Continuing firmly to try to do something despite difficulties.
- biochemist:
- A scientist who studies the chemical processes within living things.
Educational example text · News Article
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- 1When and where did Banting and Best begin their pancreatic-extract research?
- 2Who worked together on the early University of Toronto pancreatic-extract experiments?
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About this news article passage for Upper Elementary
“A Scientific Breakthrough: The Discovery of Insulin” is a news article reading passage about Medical Discovery, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (456 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.