What is the significance of the discovery of insulin by Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best?
Quick answer: Insulin has saved 16 million lives worldwide. In our practice tests 86% of 102 answers were correct, and the most common mistake is choosing “Insulin is a hormone that permits you to eat anything you wish”.
Why is this the correct answer?
Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin in 1921, saving an estimated 16 million lives worldwide. This breakthrough in treating diabetes is one of Canada's greatest contributions to medicine.
Study Tip
The discovery of insulin by Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best has a profound impact on the lives of people with diabetes. This achievement is also closely tied to the history of Canadian medical research and innovation.
What should you know about this topic?
Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best, working at the University of Toronto, discovered insulin in the early 1920s. Insulin is a hormone that controls the level of sugar in the blood. People with diabetes either do not make enough insulin or cannot use it properly. Before this discovery, a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes was usually fatal.
Discover Canada lists the discovery of insulin among Canada's great scientific achievements and states that it has saved 16 million lives worldwide. Banting shared the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this work. The discovery turned diabetes from a death sentence into a condition people could manage with regular treatment.
The guide highlights many other Canadian inventors and scientists, which often appear on the citizenship test. Examples include Alexander Graham Bell, who came up with the idea for the telephone at his summer house in Canada; Dr. Wilder Penfield, a pioneering brain surgeon in Montreal; Joseph-Armand Bombardier, who invented the snowmobile; and Sir Sandford Fleming, who created the worldwide system of standard time zones. Learning one fact about each helps you answer questions about Canada's contributions to science and technology. Banting is honoured across Canada, and his story is often used to show how Canadian research has helped people all around the world. Remember the names, the decade, and the number of lives saved.
Why are the other answers wrong?
- Discovering insulin made Drs. Banting and Best famous: Fame is not the reason the discovery matters; the lives saved are.
- Discovering insulin opened the doors to more discoveries: This may be true in general, but it is not the significance named in Discover Canada.
- Insulin is a hormone that permits you to eat anything you wish: Insulin controls blood sugar; it does not remove the need for a healthy diet.
What is the most common mistake?
Some learners choose an answer that sounds positive but is vague or untrue. Discover Canada's specific point is the number of lives saved: 16 million.
How can you remember the answer?
Banting and Best = the best result: 16 million lives saved.
Original data
How many people get this question right?
86% of 102 practice answers from about 75 people were correct. The most common wrong answer is "Insulin is a hormone that permits you to eat anything you wish", chosen 6% of the time. The data covers practice tests on BecomeACitizen.ca from March 31, 2026 to September 30, 2026.
How hard is this question compared with others?
It is the 56th easiest of the 167 questions we have enough data to rank. The average for the Canada's History chapter is 68% correct, and the average across all questions is 75%. You need 75% to pass the real test.
These are practice questions written from the official Discover Canada guide. IRCC does not publish the real test questions. See the full ranking in the 20 most-missed citizenship test questions or browse more Canada's History questions.
Practice This Chapter
Test yourself with questions from Canada's History. Timed mock tests, instant scoring, and detailed explanations.
Which part of Discover Canada is this question from?
This question is from the Canada's History section of the Canadian citizenship test. The test consists of 20 multiple-choice questions drawn from the official Discover Canada study guide. You need to score at least 75% (15 out of 20 correct) to pass.
This chapter has 61 questions in our database. Studying chapter by chapter is one of the most effective ways to prepare, as it helps you build deep understanding of each topic before moving to the next.
How should you study for the citizenship test?
Start by reading the complete how-to-pass guide, then work through each chapter in the study mode. When you feel ready, take a full exam simulation with the real 45-minute time limit.