Back in the 1800s, people with diabetes rarely survived. The only treatment was a starvation diet just 450 calories a day which often led to death from weakness, not the disease. But everything changed with one discovery.
So how did insulin come into the picture?
Flashback to 1889: Two German researchers removed the pancreas from dogs and noticed they developed diabetes-like symptoms and died. This revealed that the pancreas was key to blood sugar control.
What happened next? Scientists zoomed in on the “Islets of Langerhans” (fancy name for clusters of specialized cells in the pancreas) They found out that one chemical was missing from pancreas in people with diabetes – called it “Insulin”
Dr. Banting and Charles Best extracted insulin from a dog’s pancreas, it looked like thick brown muck but it worked- keeping a diabetic dog alive for 70 days.
Soon, a purer version was made using cattle pancreases. Finally, in 1922, 14-year-old Leonard Thompson became the first human to receive insulin. Within 24 hours, his health dramatically improved and the news spread like wildfire, and the world had its first real weapon against diabetes!
Can you imagine a world where insulin was never discovered? Did you know it was first discovered using dogs? share your thoughts!
Insulin didn’t just change medicine it gave life back to millions. What began as a messy extract from a dog’s pancreas became one of the greatest medical breakthroughs in history. Behind every dose is a legacy of science, sacrifice, and the relentless drive to turn suffering into survival. It’s a reminder that even the most unlikely experiments can lead to life saving miracles.
Honestly, it’s hard to think of life where insulin wouldn’t have been discovered yet. This makes us appreciate how important the human progression is. This one discovery is the key difference between life and death for millions.
I can’t imagine the situation if insulin was not discovered and I would like to say thanks to scientist for their life saving Discovery as people can now live longer
It’s heartbreaking to think that before insulin, a diagnosis of diabetes meant a slow, painful decline. The fact that people had to survive on just 450 calories a day feels unimaginable now. What really amazes me is how a single organ, the pancreas, held the key all along and how a muddy extract from a dog’s pancreas became hope for humanity. The story of Leonard Thompson is not just history; it’s a reminder of why medical research matters. Grateful for the science, the sacrifice, and the courage that brought insulin into our lives. Just imagine—millions are alive today because of that one moment in 1922.
A world without the discovery of insulin would be grim for millions—type 1 diabetes, once a death sentence, would still claim countless lives, especially children. Before insulin, patients were starved just to prolong life briefly. It’s sobering to realize this life-saving hormone was first discovered in 1921 using dogs; researchers Frederick Banting and Charles Best removed the pancreas from dogs to understand its role in blood sugar regulation. Their work paved the way for a breakthrough that transformed diabetes from fatal to manageable. Without that discovery, modern medicine—and countless lives—would look very different.
It’s wild to think that diabetes was a death sentence in the 1800s, with people barely surviving on 450 calories a day. The discovery of insulin was a total game changer.
Insulin changed the fates of too many to count, I think many aspects of modern medicine would never have thrived if the first intrusive steps and approaches were not taken to analyze the pancreas and understand the role of insulin. Truly game changing!
It is hard to think about a world without Insulin, as Insulin is now a means of saving numerous lives.
Never knew about this story behind Insulin discovery and it is really interesting to know that Insulin was discovered using dogs.
Yes If insulin was not invented in the time then many people have lost their life up to now. Because almost many of the people are suffering with the diabetes. Almost many people who are suffering with the diabetes are still alive now due to this insulin only.
