Adolf Windaus

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Adolf Windaus

Adolf Windaus , 1876-1959, German chemist. He was professor of chemistry and director of the chemistry laboratories at the Univ. of Göttingen (1915-44). For his research on sterols, especially in relation to vitamins, he received the 1928 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He later discovered and synthetically prepared vitamin D ₃ , the component of vitamin D that is most important in preventing the bone disease rickets.

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Windaus, Adolf

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition | 2005 | | © A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Windaus, Adolf (1876–1959) German chemist; discovered formation of ergocalciferol (vitamin D₂) by uv irradiation of ergosterol; Nobel Prize 1928.

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DAVID A. BENDER. "Windaus, Adolf." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Nov. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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vitamin

A Dictionary of Biology | 2004 | Â© A Dictionary of Biology 2004, originally published by Oxford University Press 2004. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

vitamin One of a number of organic compounds required by living organisms in relatively small amounts to maintain normal health. There are some 14 generally recognized major vitamins: the water-soluble vitamin B complex (containing 9) and vitamin C and the fat-soluble vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K. Most B vitamins and vitamin C occur in plants, animals, and microorganisms; they function typically as coenzymes. Vitamins A, D, E, and K occur only in animals, especially vertebrates, and perform a variety of metabolic roles. Animals are unable to manufacture many vitamins themselves and must have adequate amounts in the diet. Foods may contain vitamin precursors (called provitamins) that are chemically changed to the actual vitamin on entering the body. Many vitamins are destroyed by light and heat, e.g. during cooking.

VITAMINS

1897	Dutch physician Christiaan Eijkman (1858–1930) cures beriberi in chickens with diet of whole rice.
1906–07	British biochemist Sir Frederick Hopkins demonstrates existence of accessory dietary elements essential for growth.
1912	Polish-born US biochemist Casimir Funk (1884–1967) extracts antiberiberi factor (an amine) from rice husks and coins the term ‘vitamine’ (vital amine; later changed to ‘vitamin’).
1913	US biochemist Elmer McCollum (1879–1967) discovers and names vitamin A (retinol) and names antiberiberi factor vitamin B.
1920	McCollum names antirachitic factor vitamin D.
1922	US embryologist Herbert Evans (1882–1971) discovers vitamin E (tocopherol).
1926	German chemist Adolf Windaus (1876–1959) discovers that ergosterol is converted to vitamin D in the presence of sunlight.
1931	German chemist Paul Karrer (1889–1971) determines the structure of (and synthesizes) vitamin A.
1932	Hungarian-born US biochemist Albert Szent-Györgyi (1893–1986) and US biochemist Charles King (1896–1986) independently isolate vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
1933	Polish-born Swiss chemist Tadeus Reichstein (1897–1996) and British chemist Walter Haworth (1883–1950) independently synthesize vitamin C.
	US chemist Roger Williams (1893–1988) discovers the B vitamin pantothenic acid.
1934	Danish biochemist Carl Dam (1895–1976) discovers vitamin K.
1935	Karrer and Austrian-born German chemist Richard Kuhn (1900–67) independently synthesize vitamin B2 (riboflavin).
1937	US chemist Robert Williams (1886–1965) synthesizes vitamin B1 (thamin).
1938	Karrer synthesizes vitamin E.
	Kuhn isolates and synthesizes vitamin B6 (pyridoxine).
1939	Dam and Karrer isolate vitamin K.
1940	Szent-Györgyi and US biochemist Vincent Du Vigneaud (1901–78) discover ‘vitamin H’ (the B vitamin biotin).
	Roger Williams determines the structure of pantothenic acid.
	US biochemist Edward Doisey synthesizes vitamin K.
1948	US biochemist Karl Folkers (1906– ) isolates vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin).
1956	British chemist Dorothy Hodgkin (1910–94) determines the structure of vitamin B12.
1971	US chemist Robert Woodward (1917–79) and Swiss chemist Albert Eschenmoser (1925– ) synthesize vitamin B12.

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	Adolf Windaus--Nobel Prize for Research on sterols Magazine article from: Mayo Clinic Proceedings; 2/1/2001; ; 700+ words ; Adolf Windaus, German chemist, won the 1928 Nobel...about which almost nothing was known. Windaus proved that it was involved somehow with...hormones, saponins, and glycosides. Windaus was born on December 25, 1876, in Berlin...
	The Discovery of Vitamin D: The Contribution of Adolf Windaus Magazine article from: The Journal of Nutrition; 6/1/2004; ; 700+ words ; ...chemistry for 1928 was awarded to Adolf Windaus "for his studies on the constitution...vitamins. What was the contribution Windaus made to our knowledge of vitamins...D. It had a long history before Windaus appeared on the scene. Rickets...
	Obituary: Professor Adolf Butenandt Newspaper article from: The Independent - London; 2/1/1995; ; 700+ words ; Adolf Butenandt was one of the leading biochemists...listed officially as a No bel prizewinner. Adolf Butenandt was born in Lehe, near Bremerhaven...his PhD thesis under the supervision of Adolf Windaus, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1928...
	The bard or not the bard? ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Newspaper article from: The Daily Mail (London, England); 2/1/2006; 700+ words ; ...cholesterol? FURTHER to the earlier answer, though Adolf Windaus was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1928 for...to us that the brilliant and intricate researches of Windaus should have led to a formula so incorrect as that put...
	Erratum Magazine article from: The Journal of Nutrition; 8/1/2004; ; 254 words ; Wolf, G. (2004) The Discovery of Vitamin D: The Contribution of Adolf Windaus. J. Nutr. 134:1299-1302. The structures of calciferol or vitamin D-2 and cholecalciferol or vitamin D-3 shown in Figure...
	Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureates. News Wire article from: United Press International; 10/9/2002; 700+ words ; ...the Special Fund of this prize section. 1939 -- Adolf Friedrich Johann Butenandt, Germany; Leopold Ruzicka...August Simon von Euler-Chelpin, Sweden. 1928 -- Adolf Otto Reinhold Windaus, Germany. 1927 -- Heinrich Otto