Pancreas Man Research Paper

Insulin for diabetes was discovered in 1921 at the University of Toronto by Sir Frederick G. Banting, Charles H. Best, and JJR Macleod. James B. Collip subsequently purified it, and one year later on January 11, it was put to use on a young 14 year old boy named Leonard Thompson; a patient at Toronto General Hospital. Once the substance was delivered, it was found that the extract was so pure that he suffered an allergic reaction, and further injections were cancelled. James Collip worked for the next 12 days on improving the ox-pancreas extract, and the second dose given to Thompson on January 23 was completely successful. Prior to this, a type 1 diabetic would be put on a starvation diet, or be limited to a calorie intake of around 450 calories per day, and would only live a few extra months. Leonard Thompson lived another 14 years, until 1935 when he died of pneumonia at the age of 28.

1. Describe the anatomic location of the pancreas relative to the other organs in the upper portion of the abdominal cavity. - The pancreas is about 6 inches long and sits across the back of the abdomen, behind the stomach and liver, leveled with the top of the small intestine and it also borders the liver, spleen and kidneys. The head of the pancreas is on the right side of the abdomen and is connected to the duodenum (the first section of the small intestine) through a small tube called the pancreatic duct. The narrow end of the pancreas, called the tail, extends to the left side of the body.

After reading the first half of chapter two, The Analytic Project, I was most interested in the section titled, The Discovery of Insulin. I furthered my research of this area after reading and was able to better understand insulin and why it was such an important discovery. With that being said, diabetes was the result of malfunctions of the pancreas. Before the discovery of insulin, diabetes was a disease that usually caused death, especially during the late nineteenth century. Many feared this disease, and according to A Philosophy of Science, A new Introduction, most people lost their life within a year of being diagnosed with the disease, even with the best treatment available at the time.

During the year 1889, two researchers, Joseph Von Mering and Oskar Minkowski, had discovered the disease that is known today as diabetes. Diabetes is a disease in which the insulin levels (a hormone produced in unique cells called the islets of Langerhans found in the pancreas) in the bloodstream are irregular and therefore affect the way the body uses sugars, as well as other nutrients. Up until the 1920’s, it was known that being diagnosed with diabetes was a death sentence which usually affected “children and adults under 30.” Those who were diagnosed were usually very hungry and thirsty, which are two of the symptoms associated with diabetes. However, no matter how much they ate, their bodies wouldn’t be able to use the nutrients due

In the year 1921, insulin became discovered and it helps save countless numbers of lives in the following years. Leading up to this discovery, Fredrick Banting worked very hard to find out what insulin actually is and its function. In chapters two through four, Bankston writes about how Fredrick was born in

First and foremost, Dr. Frederick Banting was able to isolate insulin and use it to treat the metabolic disorder diabetes which has benefited Canada. As a result, numerous individuals have been able to receive treatment which has reduced the number of deaths. This decrease in mortalities has also lowered the number of debilitating conditions resulting from diabetes. In fact, the mortality rate for diabetes over the past forty-five years has dropped by over fifty percent (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). This decrease clearly indicates that the death rates for diabetes is gradually declining. This trend can be followed from the time insulin was discovered and has increased the prognosis and quality of life for many people. In addition, the number of diabetes cases in Canada has risen by almost thirty percent over the past twenty years (Public Health Agency of Canada 2). Although, the number of people living with diabetes is significantly

"Cancer of the pancreas is a genetic disease that is the fifth most common cause of death in both men and women. Pancreatic cancer affects approximately 28,000 Americans each year, or five out of 100,000 people" (Mayo Clinic, 1998). According to physicians at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, "pancreatic cancer is the challenge of the twenty-first century." So, where exactly is the pancreas located in our bodies, and what does it do? The pancreas is a gland found behind the stomach that is shaped somewhat like a fish. The pancreas is about six inches long and less than two inches wide, and it extends across the abdomen. The pancreas consists of two separate glands inside the same organ, the exocrine gland and the

"Diabetes." The Cambridge Historical Dictionary of Disease. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Credo Reference. Web. 24 October 2013.

According to Swales, a discourse community is made up of individuals who share a set of common public goals, has mechanisms of intercommunication among its members, uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback, has and uses one or more genres that help the community achieve its goals, has acquired some specific lexis, and has a reasonable ratio of novices and experts (220-222.). Even though that may seem like a large number of requirements in order to be defined as a discourse community, it truly is not. Everyone in this world belongs to at least one discourse community, while others belong to multiple communities. I decided to look at the Type 1 diabetes discourse community, because it is a community I am personally a part of.

This class also helped me finally begin to understand Diabetes, and that it was a metabolic disorder that affects the Endocrine system by not producing enough insulin, producing no insulin, or causing cells that do not respond properly to insulin produced by the pancreas (Pakistan & Gulf Economist, 2011); and to distinguish between the different types of diabetes. This once again set the foundation for me to begin to understand exactly what occurred in my grandfather’s situation. Understanding what I now know, as I write this paper, I realize that it was in this class where I began to put together that we are not necessarily sentenced to a life of disease simply because we have a familial predisposition to it (Cirino & Ho, 2013). Heredity can predispose us to things such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular

A healthy pancreas pumps out insulin in exact doses, masterfully managing the level of glucose so it never raises too high, which could lead to various complications; or too low, which could lead to a coma or kill someone on the spot. My pancreas, however, no longer makes insulin; it can’t. For reasons no one fully knows, my own immune system turned against itself and killed off the cells that produce

Pancreatic cancer is currently number four in cancer related deaths for both male and female. Why is pancreatic cancer awareness not reconsidered like breast cancer (second most common deaths in women.) Pancreatic cancer kills just about or more than breast cancer.

I, a normal seven year old boy, was about to have my life changed forever. At first I didn’t realize how my life was being dramatically altered. I thought that the doctors would give me medicine, like they usually do, and I’ll continue my life as always. However, Diabetes is much more complicated. I was shocked to discover that for the rest of my life I had to receive shots and count these, previously unknown, sugars called Carbohydrates, which determines how big the shot will be.

It hasn’t been until just recently where biomechanical engineers have gotten close to doing just that. With the idea of the artificial pancreas being a dream just a couple years ago, the dream is becoming a reality right in front of us. The diabetes community is coming together to rejoice the artificial pancreas, which some companies are just months away from completing the loop of the system. With complicated algorithms and precise readings of blood glucose levels, the bionic pancreas looks as if it will have only positive effects. However, there is always a chance for this 21st century advancement to fail. Failure to proceed correct readings and appropriate dosage of insulin or glucagon could result in fatal complications and even death. Although a very slim chance of these failures to happen, there is always a possibility, but studies and research is looking very positive. The FDA has approved many products already, but most are still waiting to be furnished and made better. The artificial pancreas is an advancement that will change the medical field, both professional and patient, for centuries to

On November 15, 2017, I attended a professional meeting called “Think Like A Pancreas: A Practical Guide to Managing Diabetes with Insulin.” The sponsors for this meeting were SNDA and CVD. The speaker who presented at the meeting was Gary Scheiner Ms, CDE. He is an author of the book “Think Like A Pancreas: A Practical Guide to Managing Diabetes with Insulin.” The general objective for this meeting helped people gain more knowledge about diabetes, and learned more from author personal experiences with type I diabetes. After I attended this meeting, I become more knowledgeable about diabetes. I have a chance to learn more about diabetes nutrition, different type of medications, and many tools that are available for diabetes patients to keep track on the blood glucose.