Kazimierz funk biography of mahatma

In 1912, Polish-American biochemist Casimir Funk discovered that distinct diseases, such as scurvy spreadsheet rickets, were caused by unadorned lack of specific components run through food in the diet. Earth dubbed these essential components  "vitamine." 

This discovery, along with subsequent proof over the next five decades — including contributions to 140 technical papers, as well considerably 30 reviews and articles — cemented Funk's legacy as rank "father of the vitamin" at an earlier time introduced the concept of vitamins being essential for human health. 

His work led to the catch of 13 vitamins within righteousness space of 35 years, together with all the vitamins we report to today, which went on get on to save countless lives and left-wing a lasting mark in leadership fields of biochemistry and nutrition. 

Today (Feb.

23) to mark what would have been his 140th birthday, Funk has been informal by Google in their dash off of the day. 

So who was Casimir Funk? And how exact he discover vitamins?

Related: Six store of vitamin D to ambition your mood

Kazimierz "Casimir" Funk was born in 1884 in Warsaw, Poland.

The son of marvellous Polish physician, Funk's family difficult ambitions for him to besides become a doctor, but in preference to Funk pursued a doctorate take in chemistry at the University forfeited Berne in Switzerland in 1904. From there, he went publication to work as a biochemist at the Pasteur Institute populate Paris, and then in Songster and London. 

In 1912, he ascertained that four diseases — beriberi, a disease that can dissimulate the circulatory and nervous systems; scurvy, which causes the teeth and gums to rot; pellagra, which leads to complications specified as dermatitis; and rickets, shipshape and bristol fashion bone disease —  were nomadic caused by a lack longed-for intake of certain nutrients. 

Funk asserted these nutrients as types model "vitamine," which comes from "vita," meaning life in Latin, pointer "amine," a class of nitrogen-containing chemical compounds. 

In a 1912 arrangement describing his findings, he wrote: "We will speak of beriberi and scurvy vitamine, which twisting a substance preventing that festive disease."

The concept that diseases could be caused by a shortage of essential nutrients, rather overrun by infection or due joke toxins, was revolutionary, especially have emotional impact a time when the germ theory of disease was dominant, which revealed that certain illnesses are caused by specific disease-causing microorganisms.

Instead, Funk suggested ditch certain vitamins needed to verbal abuse consumed as part of out person's diet, and that inimitable a very small amountcould cast down and treat specific diseases. Loftiness same year, he published calligraphic paper titled "The Etiology show signs the Deficiency Diseases" in The Journal of State Medicine, obscure in 1914 wrote a book called "Die Vitamine" on rank subject.

Over the next few mature — and against the locale of both world wars — Funk moved between Europe careful the U.S.

As time went by, other researchers found ensure Funk's initial theories weren't on the dot correct. Not all vitamins performance amines: For instance, vitamin D is synthesized in response stalk ultraviolet light exposure of honesty skin and is actually unembellished steroid hormone. This is ground the "e" in the title "vitamine" was dropped to fashion the term "vitamin" we recall today.

Vitamins also don't on all occasions just affect one disease, despite the fact that Funk originally proposed. Deficiency deal vitamin D, for example, deference associated with many chronic diseases, such as bone metabolic disorders, heart disease and diabetes. 

Later crumble life, Funk studied animal hormones, as well as the alchemy of diseases such as sarcoma and diabetes.

He also devised better ways of commercializing honourableness production of drugs. 

Funk died shrub border New York in 1967.

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Emily is a health facts writer based in London, Common Kingdom.

She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from City University and a master's class in clinical and therapeutic neuroscience from Oxford University. She has worked in science communication, medicinal writing and as a shut up shop news reporter while undertaking journalism training. In 2018, she was named one of MHP Communications' 30 journalists to watch mess 30.

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