Crystal Clear
Breaking down sugar
Living with diabetes
Dorothy Hodgkin looked at how atoms fit together into very complicated molecules. She used X-ray crystallography to find out what penicillin and insulin look like. Knowing what the molecules look like has helped other scientists understand how these molecules work, and to make new medicines.
Answers to quiz
600BC
"Check to see if ants and other insects are attracted to your
sugary urine."
The Hindu doctor Sushruta Samhita described how insects were
attracted to the urine of people with diabetes indicating there was
glucose in the urine.
150
"Grind up a mixture of acorn, copper, wild pomegranate
flower and make a drink with rose water."
The roman doctor Galen recommended this potion.
1674
"Have a taste of your urine. If you have diabetes it will
taste a bit like honey"
Tom Willis tasted the urine of a diabetic patient and concluded it
tasted like honey.
1796
"Go on a strict diet and eat as much fatty and rancid old
meat that you can find. Blood puddings are also a good
idea."
John Rollo produced this diet which was slightly effective in
treating patients with type 2 diabetes.
1870
"You should eat as little as possible. In fact on some days
you shouldn't eat at all."
This diet was produced by Apollinaire Bouchardat, observing that
diabetic patients on rations seemed better with less food.
1922
"You can have an injection of insulin taken from a cow to stop the
worst symptoms."
These were the first patients treated with insulin, by Banting,
Best and Collip.
1966
"You are to be offered a pancreas transplant. You will keep
your old one in place and have a new one attached."
1982
"You can have some humulin - human insulin created by
genetically engineered E. Coli"
Humulin is identical to human insulin.
1990
"You are now on the waiting list for pancreatic islet
transplantation. The part of the pancreas that produces
insulin will be attached to your liver."
Curriculum Links
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Science: |
QCA Unit 8A |
Food and digestion |
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QCA Unit 8E |
Atoms and elements |
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QCA Unit 9B |
Fit and Healthy |
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Curriculum Opportunities h) explore contemporary and historic scientific developments, and how they have been communicated APP Links AF2 Understanding the implications and applications of science (e.g. exploring how understanding of crystallography/atomic structure allowed scientists to answer and pose further questions) |
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History |
Unit 20 |
Twentieth-century medicine |
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Unit 21 |
Scientific discoveries |
Scottish Curriculum Links:
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Science |
SCN 3-12a |
Biological systems - Body systems and cells I have explored the structure and function of organs and organ systems and can relate this to the basic biological processes required to sustain life. |
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SCN 3-12b |
Biological systems - Body systems and cells I have explored the role of technology in monitoring health and improving the quality of life. |
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SCN 4-12a |
Biological systems - Body systems and cells I can explain how biological actions which take place in response to external and internal changes work to maintain stable body conditions. |
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SCN 3-13c |
Biological systems - Body systems and cells I have explored how the body defends itself against disease and can describe how vaccines can provide protection. |
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SCN 4-08b |
Forces, electricity and waves - Forces |
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SCN 4-15a |
Materials - Properties and uses of substances |
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Technologies |
TCH 3-01a |
Technological developments in society |
Breaking down sugar
The hormone insulin is produced in the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that breaks down glucose. People with the disease type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin, so must inject extra into their bodies. Without it, diabetic people would have too much glucose in their blood, causing long term damage to their body.
In 1969, Dorothy Hodgkin discovered the structure of insulin - see the diagram below, which she published in a scientific paper. Since then, further research has allowed scientists to produce artificial insulin. Thanks to this research, patients today have a choice of insulin. Some are fast acting while others act over a long period of time - whichever suits the patient.
| Key fact: Because scientists worked out the structure of insulin, people with diabetes today are better able to cope with their condition. |
When we eat, our body breaks down some of the food into glucose. The glucose is absorbed into our blood and is used as fuel for all the cells in our body.
Having too much glucose in the blood for a long time can damage the eyes, kidney and heart. So the body controls the amount of glucose that is in the blood.
- When there is lots of glucose in the blood, the pancreas (the organ in the body that produces some of the hormones and enzymes we need) is stimulated to make insulin.
- This insulin tells other parts of the body to start using up or storing the extra glucose.
- And so the amount of glucose in the blood drops.
People with diabetes have problems controlling the amount of glucose in their blood. They either cannot produce the insulin (type 1 diabetes) or their bodies don't respond to the insulin (type 2 diabetes).
| Key fact: Insulin is a hormone that regulates the amount of glucose we have in our blood. |
People have known about diabetes for thousands of years. What year would you have first been given these doctor's orders?
Take the online quiz here,
or download the pdf worksheet.