Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Presented by	Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet
Location	Stockholm, Sweden
Reward	11 million SEK (2024)
First awarded	1901
Currently held by	Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun (2024)

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is a very important award. It is given out every year for amazing discoveries in physiology (how living things work) or medicine (the science of healing). The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden chooses the winners.

This prize is one of five different Nobel Prizes. They were all created by Alfred Nobel's will from 1895. He wanted them to go to people who had done the "greatest benefit to humankind" in the past year. The other Nobel Prizes are for Physics, Chemistry, Literature, and Peace.

The Nobel Prize is given out on December 10th each year. This date is the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. As of 2024, 115 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have been awarded. A total of 229 people have won, including 216 men and 13 women.

The first winner was Emil von Behring in 1901. He was a German scientist who developed a vaccine against diphtheria. This was a very serious disease. The first woman to win was Gerty Cori in 1947. She helped us understand how the body uses glucose (a type of sugar). This was important for treating conditions like diabetes. The most recent winners, in 2024, are Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun. They discovered microRNA, which helps control how our genes work.

The prize includes a special medal, a diploma, and money. The front of the medal shows Alfred Nobel. The back of the medal is unique for each type of Nobel Prize.

Sometimes, the awards have caused debate. For example, the 1949 prize for lobotomy was controversial. Also, Nobel Prizes cannot be given to someone after they have died. And no more than three people can share a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This rule is sometimes discussed because many important scientific projects today involve large teams.

Who Was Alfred Nobel?
How Are Winners Chosen?
What Do Winners Receive?
Famous Winners
- Time and Death
- Limits on Winners
Years Without Awards
See also

Who Was Alfred Nobel?

Nobel was interested in experimental physiology and set up his own laboratories.

Alfred Nobel was born in Sweden in 1833. His family were engineers. He grew up to be a chemist, engineer, and inventor. He became very rich from his 355 inventions. His most famous invention was dynamite.

Nobel was also interested in how the body works. He even set up his own labs in France and Italy. There, he did experiments on things like blood transfusions. He kept up with new scientific discoveries. He also gave money to support scientists like Ivan Pavlov in Russia. He believed that scientific discoveries would help humanity a lot.

In 1888, Nobel read his own obituary (a notice about someone's death) in a French newspaper. It said, "The merchant of death is dead." But it was actually his brother, Ludvig, who had died. Nobel was upset by what the obituary said about him. He wanted his legacy to be better. This made him change his will.

In his last will, Nobel asked for his money to be used to create prizes. These prizes would honor those who gave the "greatest benefit on mankind." He wanted prizes in physics, chemistry, peace, physiology or medicine, and literature. Nobel wrote this will a little over a year before he died in 1896.

After Nobel died, the Nobel Foundation was created. Its job was to manage his money and set up the prizes. The Karolinska Institute in Sweden was chosen to be in charge of the Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

How Are Winners Chosen?

The reverse side of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine

Alfred Nobel wanted the prize to be given for a "discovery." He also wanted it to be of "greatest benefit on mankind."

Only certain people can suggest names for the award. These include members of science academies around the world. Also, professors of medicine in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Finland can nominate. Professors from certain universities and research centers in other countries can too. Past Nobel winners can also suggest new candidates.

Until 1977, all professors at the Karolinska Institute decided on the winner. But then, a new Swedish law meant their discussions had to be public. So, the Nobel Assembly was formed. This group has 50 professors from the Karolinska Institute. They choose a special Nobel Committee of five members. This committee looks at all the suggested names.

Since 1968, a rule says that no more than three people can share a Nobel Prize. The committee often chooses researchers who work on basic science. This means they study how things work, not just how to use them. For example, the prize for polio research went to scientists who discovered how the polio virus grows in cells. This basic discovery made the vaccines possible.

What Do Winners Receive?

Winners of the Medicine or Physiology Nobel Prize get a gold medal, a diploma, and money. They receive these at a special ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden.

Medals

Alexander Fleming's 1945 Nobel Prize medal for Physiology and Medicine on display at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.

The medal for Physiology and Medicine has a picture of Alfred Nobel on the front. A Swedish artist named Erik Lindberg designed it. The back of the medal shows a figure representing the 'Genius of Medicine'. She is holding a book and collecting water to help a sick girl. The medal also has a Latin phrase that means, "It is beneficial to have improved human life through discovered arts." The winner's name is engraved on the medal.

Diplomas

The King of Sweden gives each Nobel winner their diploma. Each diploma is unique and designed just for that winner. Swedish artists and calligraphers (people who do fancy writing) create them. The diploma has a picture and text. It names the winner and explains why they received the prize.

Award Money

Winners also get a document that states the amount of money they receive. The amount can change each year. It depends on how much money the Nobel Foundation has. For example, in 2009, the prize was 10 million Swedish Krona (SEK). In 2012, it was 8 million SEK. If two people share a prize, the money is split equally. If three people share, it can be split equally, or one person might get half and the other two get a quarter each.

Ceremony and Banquet

The awards are given at a fancy ceremony. After that, there is a big banquet (a formal dinner). The menu for the Nobel Banquet is planned months ahead and kept secret until the day of the event. It's a three-course meal. Each winner can bring up to 16 guests. The Swedish royal family attends, along with the Prime Minister and other important people.

Famous Winners

Emil von Behring received the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901.

The first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Emil Adolf von Behring in 1901. His discovery of serum therapy helped create vaccines for diphtheria and tetanus. These vaccines gave doctors a powerful way to fight illness and save lives.

In 1902, Ronald Ross won for his work on malaria. He showed how malaria enters the body. He also found that mosquitoes transmit the disease. He worked hard to prevent malaria around the world. The 1903 prize went to Niels Ryberg Finsen. He used concentrated light to treat diseases like lupus. He died within a year of getting the prize at age 43.

Ivan Pavlov, whose work Alfred Nobel admired, won in 1904. He won for his studies on how digestion works.

Nikolaas Tinbergen (left) and Konrad Lorenz (right) were awarded (with Karl von Frisch) for their discoveries concerning animal behaviour.

The Nobel committee has given the prize for many different types of discoveries. In 1973, Nikolaas Tinbergen, Konrad Lorenz, and Karl von Frisch won. They won for their observations of animal behavior. This was seen as a prize in behavioral science, not just medicine. Tinbergen himself was surprised that "mere animal watchers" won a prize for Physiology or Medicine.

In 1947, Gerty Cori was the first woman to be awarded the Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Thirteen women have won this prize. Gerty Cori was the first in 1947. Other winners include Barbara McClintock (1983), Rita Levi-Montalcini (1986), and Tu Youyou (2015). Only Barbara McClintock has won this prize by herself. She discovered how genes can move around on chromosomes.

In 2007, Mario Capecchi, Martin Evans, and Oliver Smithies won. They discovered a way to change genes in mice. This helped create "knockout mice" for studying diseases. In 2009, Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol W. Greider, and Jack W. Szostak won. They discovered how chromosomes are protected by special caps called telomeres.

Rita Levi-Montalcini was an Italian scientist who won in 1986. She discovered Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). She was the first Nobel winner to live to be 100 years old.

The prize has been given to one person 38 times. It has been shared by two people 31 times. And it has been shared by three people 33 times.

Time and Death

Ralph M. Steinman was an inadvertent posthumous recipient of the Prize.

Sometimes, a Nobel Prize is given many years after a discovery. This is because it can take a long time to understand how important a discovery is. For example, Barbara McClintock made her discovery in 1944. But she didn't win the prize until 1983. Peyton Rous discovered tumor viruses in chickens in 1916. He won the prize 50 years later, in 1966.

Nobel winner Carol Greider said that time helps in medical science. It allows us to see the full importance of a discovery.

In 2011, Ralph M. Steinman won the prize. But the committee didn't know he had died three days before the announcement. They decided to let the award stand since it was given "in good faith."

Limits on Winners

The rule that only three people can share a prize started in 1968. This rule has caused some debate. In recent years, more and more people have worked together on important discoveries. It's common for large teams to do biomedical research now. This means that sometimes, more than three people might deserve credit for a discovery. But because of the rule, some deserving scientists might not be recognized.

Years Without Awards

There have been nine years when the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was not awarded. These years were 1915–1918, 1921, 1925, and 1940–1942. Most of these were during World War I or World War II. In 1939, Nazi Germany stopped Gerhard Domagk from accepting his prize. He later received the diploma and medal, but not the money.