Albrecht Kossel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Albrecht Kossel
|
|
|---|---|
Albrecht Kossel
|
|
| Born | 16 September 1853 Rostock, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in the German Confederation
|
| Died | 5 July 1927 (aged 73) Heidelberg in the Weimar Republic
|
| Nationality | German |
| Alma mater | University of Strassburg University of Rostock |
| Known for | Discovery of histidine Discovery of histones Discovery of nucleobases Theophylline |
| Awards | Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1910) |
| Scientific career | |
| Doctoral students | Edwin B. Hart |
Albrecht Kossel (born September 16, 1853 – died July 5, 1927) was a German biochemist. He was a very important scientist who helped us understand genetics.
In 1910, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He earned it for figuring out what nucleic acids are made of. Nucleic acids are the special stuff that carries genetic information in all living cells.
Kossel found and described five important chemical parts inside nucleic acids. These parts are called adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine, and uracil. We now know these are nucleobases. They are like the building blocks for DNA and RNA. DNA and RNA are the genetic material found in every living cell.
Albrecht Kossel also worked with other famous scientists. These included Henry Drysdale Dakin and Friedrich Miescher. He also studied proteins and helped predict how they are built.
Today, the Albrecht Kossel Institute for Neuroregeneration at the University of Rostock is named after him.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Albrecht Kossel was born in Rostock, Germany. His father was a merchant and a consul. As a young boy, Kossel went to a school called Gymnasium in Rostock. He was very interested in chemistry and plants.
In 1872, Kossel started studying medicine at the University of Strassburg. He learned from Felix Hoppe-Seyler, who was a leader in biochemistry. At that time, it was the only biochemistry department in Germany. Kossel finished his studies at the University of Rostock. He passed his medical exam in 1877.
Discovering Nucleic Acids
After finishing university, Kossel went back to the University of Strassburg. He worked as a research assistant for Felix Hoppe-Seyler. Hoppe-Seyler was very interested in a special acidic substance. Another student, Friedrich Miescher, had found it in cells in 1869. This substance was different from proteins because it had a lot of phosphorus.
Kossel showed that this substance, called "nuclein," had two main parts. One part was protein, and the other was not. Kossel then focused on the non-protein part. This part later became known as nucleic acid. We now know that nucleic acid holds all the genetic information in living cells.
Finding the Building Blocks of DNA
In 1883, Kossel moved to the University of Berlin. There, he became the director of the Chemistry Division. He kept working on nucleic acids.
Between 1885 and 1901, he made a huge discovery. He was able to find and name the five main chemical parts of nucleic acids. These are adenine, cytosine, guanine, thymine, and uracil. Today, we call these parts nucleobases. They are the key molecules that form the structure of DNA and RNA.
Research on Proteins
In 1895, Kossel became a professor at the University of Marburg. Around this time, he started studying proteins. He looked at what proteins are made of and how they change.
In 1896, Kossel discovered histidine, which is an amino acid. He also found a way to separate other important amino acids like arginine and lysine. He was also the first to get theophylline from plants. Theophylline is a medicine found naturally in tea and cocoa beans.
In 1901, Kossel moved to Heidelberg University. He became the director of the Heidelberg Institute for Protein Investigation. His work helped scientists later understand that proteins are made of long chains called polypeptides.
Winning the Nobel Prize
Albrecht Kossel won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1910. He received it for his important research on cell biology. He studied the chemical makeup of the cell nucleus. Most importantly, he isolated and described nucleic acids. The award was given on December 10, 1910.
In 1911, Kossel visited the United States. He gave a special lecture at Johns Hopkins University. He traveled with his wife, Luise, and daughter, Gertrude. He visited other universities, including the University of Chicago. A reporter from The New York Times interviewed him. The reporter noted that Kossel spoke English very well and was very humble. His lecture at Johns Hopkins was about "The Proteins." This was his only visit to the United States.
Later Discoveries and Collaborations
Kossel worked with his student Henry Drysdale Dakin. They studied an enzyme called arginase. This enzyme helps break down arginine into urea and ornithine. Later, Kossel found a substance called agmatine in herring fish eggs. He also created a way to prepare it.
Another one of Kossel's students was Edwin B. Hart. Hart later helped research how nutrition affects health. He studied the causes of conditions like anemia and goiter. Otto Folin, another American chemist, also studied with Kossel.
In 1923, Kossel was chosen to represent Germany at a big science meeting in Scotland. When he appeared, the other scientists gave him a long round of applause. He also received an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh.
In 1924, Kossel became a professor emeritus. This means he retired but still gave lectures at Heidelberg University. He continued his research until the end of his life. He studied different types of proteins, like protamines and histones. He also found a new way to separate amino acids in proteins. A book about this work was published shortly after he passed away.
Personal Life
In 1886, Kossel married Luise Holtzman. Her father, Adolf Holtzmann, was a professor at the University of Heidelberg. He taught German literature and Sanskrit. Albrecht and Luise had three children, but two lived to adulthood: Walther, born in 1888, and Gertrude, born in 1889.
Their son, Walther Kossel (1888–1956), became a famous physicist. He was known for his ideas about how atoms bond together chemically.
Albrecht Kossel was not very interested in politics. However, in 1917, the government asked him to say that the food supplies were enough. He refused to say something that was not true.
Through his marriage, Kossel was related to some important Americans. These included Eugene W. Hilgard, a pioneer in soil science, and William Lloyd Garrison, who fought against slavery.
Luise Kossel died in 1913. Albrecht Kossel passed away peacefully on July 5, 1927, after having heart problems. He is buried in Heidelberg, Germany.
Legacy
Albrecht Kossel is seen as one of the greatest scientists in biochemistry and genetics. By finding and describing nucleic acid and the nucleobases, he laid the groundwork for future discoveries. His work directly led to the understanding of the double-helix model of DNA. This model was figured out by James D. Watson and Francis Crick in 1953.
One scientist said that Kossel's work on the building blocks of nucleic acids "secured immortality for this exceedingly modest and almost shy man."
The Albrecht Kossel Institute for Neuroregeneration at the University of Rostock is named in his honor.
Selected Works
- Investigations into the nucleins and their cleavage products (1881)
- The tissues in the human body and their microscopic investigation (1889–1891)
- Textbook for medical-chemical courses (1888)
- The problems of biochemistry (1908)
- The relationships between chemistry and physiology (1913)
Images for kids
-
Albrecht Kossel
-
Kossel's grave in Heidelberg
See also
In Spanish: Albrecht Kossel para niños
