Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Research Paper

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease in which the body’s own immune system erroneously attacks the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans located in the pancreas that produce insulin, resulting in a high level of glucose in the blood. Insulin is needed to transport blood glucose (sugar) into cells. The sugar is then stored in the cells and used later for energy. “In these duties, insulin acts as a regulator of gene transcription” (Cox, 688). When beta cells produce too little or, perhaps, no insulin at all, glucose builds up in the bloodstream rather than in the cells. Common symptoms of diabetes include: frequent urination (polyuria), frequent thirst (polydipsia) and hunger—even though one is eating sufficiently—extreme fatigue, …show more content…
He was living on a diet of just 450 calories per day, and was emaciated and exhausted by the disease. After the treatment carried out at Toronto General Hospital, Canada by Banting and Best, Thompson showed significant improvements in his overall health, after just a few days. His “blood glucose and glucosuria decreased, and ketonuria disappeared” (Quianzon, n). The “active agent” had eventually been named “insulin.” Several months later, the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to Frederick Banting and John MacLeod for the discovery of insulin. The contributions of Charles Best and James Collip have been recognized, as …show more content…
“As the raw fuel for glycolysis, the universal energy-producing pathway, glucose is phosphorylated by the rate-limiting enzyme glucokinase” (Cartailler, 1). The now modified glucose is further metabolized in the beta cells to create ATP, increasing the ATP:ADP ratio. This increased ratio causes the ATP-gated potassium channels to close, preventing potassium ions from moving across the cell membrane, resulting in an increased concentration of potassium ions and a positive charge inside the cell. The cell will then be