Frederick banting education
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A soft-spoken and modest physician who saved millions of lives
On October 31, 1920, after preparing for a lecture on the pancreas, Sir Frederick Grant Banting arose from a restless sleep and wrote down words that would forever change his life and the lives of millions suffering from Diabetes: "Diabetus [sic]. Ligate pancreatic ducts of dog. Keep dogs alive till acini degenerate leaving islets. Try to isolate the internal secretion of these and relieve glycosurea [sic]." This 25-word hypothesis would eventually lead to one of the most important medical discoveries of the 20th century and would gain Banting international fame and admiration.
Key Facts
Sold the patent rights for insulin to the University of Toronto for $1
Became the youngest recipient of a Nobel Prize in Medicine
Awarded seven honorary degrees
Regarded as one of Canada’s most important amateur artists
Professional timeline
Impact on lives today
Banting’s legacy lives on in the numerous researchers who followed in his footsteps and who made medical breakthroughs at the research institut
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I am a firm believer in the theory that you can do or be anything that you wish in this world, within reason, if you are prepared to make the sacrifices, think and work hard enough and long enough.
– Frederick Banting
The Greeks first used the term ‘diabetes’, with the meaning ‘to pass through’, to denote the large amount of water consumed and urine produced in diabetics. The Romans added the term ‘mellitus’, meaning ‘sweet as honey’, when they noticed that the urine of diabetics was sweet. In the not-too-remote past, the prognosis for children with this affliction was very poor – most survived no more than a year past their diagnosis. In adults, less than 20 per cent of diabetic patients lived past ten years. Sir Frederick Banting, a physician and scientist, was the co-discoverer of insulin, a hormone of critical importance in regulating blood sugar levels. When insulin action is deficient, one develops diabetes mellitus. Due to Banting’s discovery of insulin, millions of people worldwide were able to extend their lives by decades. In 1923, Banting became the first Canadia
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The Discovery and Early Development of Insulin
Born on a farm near Alliston, Ontario on 14 November 1891, Frederick Grant Banting was the fourth and youngest son of William Thompson Banting and Margaret (Grant) Banting's five children[1]. Fred Banting was an average student, described as a hard-working, shy, and serious child by local schoolteachers. His grades were sufficient to earn admission at the University of Toronto. In 1910 he enrolled in the general arts course at Victoria College, with tentative plans to pursue a degree in the Methodist ministry.
This plan, perhaps more a reflection of his parent's desires than his own, did not materialize and Banting left Victoria College before completing his first year. In the fall of 1912, Banting re-entered the University of Toronto, this time enrolling in the Faculty of Medicine with a specialty in surgery.
Upon declaration of war on 4 August 1914, Fred Banting attempted to enlist in the Canadian Army the following day. Citing his poor eyesight, the Army rejected him. He later joined the Canadian Army Medical Service, however,
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