Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Healthy Technological Advances!

The men that discovered Insulin.
      With a growing population, we need to be more efficient in dealing with illnesses. Luckily with out growing population, we are achieving a growing scientific knowledge, and we are getting better at making it help us out with every day things. Health science has been a huge field in the recent years, but let's start early on with an incredibly important discovery.

 Insulin!

Frederick Banting and J.J.R. Macleod won Nobel prize in 1923 for the discovery of insulin. This scientific advance saved all diabetes patients. Before the discovery of insulin, diabetes, or the failure of the pancreas to control sugar levels, was a fatal illness. The insulin was modified and isolated in a U of T lab, from where it became a life saver all over the world.


Cancer Controlling Hormones

Dr. Huggins
In 1966 the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was presented to a certain Dr. Charles Brenton Huggins of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Mr. Huggins had done some very important research at Harvard University that led to the discovery of cancer controlling hormones. This was the first time anyone had been able to control cancer by using chemicals. Dr. Huggins' research on prostate cancer changed forever the way scientists saw the behavior of all cancer cells and for the first time brought hope to the idea of treating advanced cancers.


Colon Cancer

In 1996, researchers at the Sick Children's hospital discovered the gene responsible for colon cancer. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Canada.

Overall, you can see that Canadians are very up to the task of discovering important medical advances. This is just a tiny fraction of what has been discovered in Canada over the past century, and I'm sure we'll see a lot more in the future!


Sources: http://www.canadianmedicinenews.com/2007/11/canadas-greatest-medical-research.html
http://www.usrf.org/news/010308-huggins.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/274842/Charles-B-Huggins
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin#History
http://www.coloncancercanada.ca/fastfacts_coloncancer.php

Blogs commented on:
http://melissasbioblog.blogspot.com/
http://caitlincosgrovebioblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/importance-of-various-technologies.html#comment-form
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2 comments:

  1. JeefchanMay 31, 2011 at 5:40 PM

    It is without a question that technology plays a vital role in our understanding of the body. But why must we develop technology, who cares? I think your blog does a good job in answering the question that I had before starting my research. It is quite eveident that through the development of several technologies, like the Canadian pioneering of Insulin, that we humans can strive for a healthier, better life. When I thought of medicine, my mind would instantly name a few European countries like Switzerland, Germany, but after reading your blog, I now know that Canada is a top contender when it comes to revolutions in the medical field. Thanks for the insight, and here's to a healthy life.

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  2. King~BolisJune 1, 2011 at 9:36 PM

    Great Work Daniel!
    I enjoyed reading your blog and the contributions made to the internal human body system field by Canadians. I really liked the section on the Cancer controlling hormones, that was the first i have ever read about that contribution. Hopefully more advances will come and we will be able to control cancer growth firther.

    Bolis I

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