Alan Garton facts for kids

George Alan Garton (born June 4, 1922, in Scarborough, Yorkshire – died May 13, 2010) was a famous British biochemist. A biochemist is a scientist who studies the chemistry of living things. He was the head of the Lipid Biochemistry Department at the Rowett Research Institute, which is now part of the University of Aberdeen.

In 1978, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very special honor given to top scientists in the United Kingdom. It means he was recognized for his important contributions to science.

George Garton's Amazing Discoveries

George Garton was known for his careful and creative studies on how animals digest and use fats. He focused especially on animals called ruminants, like cows and sheep. These animals have a special stomach that helps them digest tough plant material.

Understanding Fats in Animals

Garton's research helped us understand how fatty acids, which are the building blocks of fats, are processed in these animals. He looked at how they absorb fats from their food and how their bodies use them.

Special Fats in Cows and Sheep

One of his cool discoveries was about a specific type of fat called phytanic acid. He found that in cows that ate grass silage (a type of stored grass feed), this acid came from chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the green stuff in plants that helps them make food using sunlight. So, the cows were getting this special fat from their diet!

He also found other new types of fats in sheep. These sheep were eating diets rich in carbohydrates (like sugars and starches). Garton discovered that these new fats appeared because of how the sheep's stomach processed their food. When sheep eat a lot of carbohydrates, their stomachs produce a lot of a substance called propionate.

How Propionate Affects Fat Production

Normally, propionate is turned into energy. But Garton found that sometimes, the animals couldn't turn all the propionate into energy fast enough. This happened because a specific chemical step, which needs Vitamin B12, was too slow. Because of this, the extra propionate was turned into these new, unusual fats.

This discovery was a big deal in the world of biochemistry. It opened up a whole new area of study about how animals make and use fats, especially when their diet changes.

Remembering His Work

To honor his important work, the 55th International Conference on the Bioscience of Lipids was held in his memory. This shows how much his discoveries helped other scientists learn more about fats and living things.