Otto Meyerhof Autograph

Profession:
(1884-1951) German physician and biochemist - in 1922, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine

Year of Birth: 1884

Otto Fritz Meyerhof was a German-born biochemist who is best known for his work on the metabolism of living cells. He was born in 1884 in Hanover, Germany, and studied medicine at the University of Berlin and the University of Strasbourg. In 1912, he received his medical degree from the University of Berlin and moved to Heidelberg to take up a position as a research assistant at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Medical Research.

Meyerhof's research focused on the metabolism of living cells, particularly the breakdown of glucose to release energy. He was the first to describe the mechanism by which glucose is broken down in the cell, known as glycolysis. He also discovered the role of enzymes in this process, which are now known as the Meyerhof pathway. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1922 for his work.

In addition to his work on metabolism, Meyerhof also made important contributions to the understanding of muscle contraction, which he studied using a technique he developed called polarography. His research helped to explain how muscles use energy to contract, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1932 for this work.

Meyerhof's later research focused on the biochemistry of the liver, and he was the first to describe the biochemical pathways involved in the production of urea, a waste product of amino acid metabolism. He also studied the metabolism of carbohydrates, and he is credited with discovering the process by which carbohydrate molecules are broken down in the body.

Meyerhof died in 1951, but his work continues to be highly influential in the fields of biochemistry and physiology. He is remembered as one of the most important figures in the history of biochemistry, and his discoveries remain essential to our understanding of how the body works.

Otto Fritz Meyerhof was an important figure in the history of biochemistry, whose work continues to influence the field today. His discoveries in the field of metabolism were groundbreaking, and his contributions to the understanding of muscle contraction and carbohydrate metabolism remain essential to our understanding of how the body works.