Question

Name the source from which insulin was extracted earlier. Why is this insulin no more in use by diabetic people?

Answer 1

Insulin injections are required by the diabetic patients. This injection is given to control their blood sugar level by transporting the sugar present in the blood to the other parts of the body. Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas.

Complete answer:
Before insulin injections were available the patients who had diabetes were assigned to fast and had a specific diet in order to control the blood sugar level in them. The insulin injection was first made from the dogs which were considered to have insulin the same as that of the humans. But it wasn’t successful as the death rate remained the same and the injection didn’t provide insulin in the body for a long time. So, doses of insulin were in demand which led to the insulin injection made from the pigs. Then the insulin injection was made from pigs and cows. The islets of the pigs produced insulin which was similar to the insulin produced by the humans. So, it was used to treat the patients having diabetes. The insulin formed from the cells of the pigs caused serious other illnesses and allergic reactions in the body of the person taking it. The injections were also discouraged due to some religious beliefs of the people. In 1978 first synthetic insulin was made which was made from the genetically engineered E. coli cells.

Note: Diabetes in people leads to an increase in the blood sugar levels. In such people, the production of insulin in their bodies gets reduced or isn’t produced at all. To help them in lowering their blood sugar levels insulin injections are given.