Gustav Georg Embden (November 10, 1874 - July 25, 1933) was a
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
chemistChemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions...
who conducted studies on
carbohydrate metabolismCarbohydrate metabolism denotes the various biochemical processes responsible for the formation, breakdown and interconversion of carbohydrates in living organisms....
and
muscle contractionMuscle fiber generates tension through the action of actin and myosin cross-bridge cycling. While under tension, the muscle may lengthen, shorten or remain the same...
, and was the first to discover and link together all the steps involved in the conversion of
glycogenGlycogen is the molecule that functions as the secondary long-term energy storage in animal cells. It is made primarily by the liver and the muscles, but can also be made by glycogenesis within the brain and stomach...
to
lactic acidLactic acid , also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in several biochemical processes. It was first isolated in 1780 by a Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, and is a carboxylic acid with a chemical formula of C
3H
6O
3...
. In 1918
Otto Fritz MeyerhofOtto Fritz Meyerhof was a German-born physician and biochemist.-Biography:Meyerhof was born in Hanover, the son of wealthy Jewish parents. He spent most of his childhood in Berlin, where he started his study of medicine...
explained
cellularThe cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos...
metabolismMetabolism is the set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms to maintain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories. Catabolism breaks down organic matter,...
by showing that it involved the breakdown of
glucoseGlucose , a monosaccharide also known as - grape sugar, blood sugar, or corn sugar, is a very important carbohydrate in biology. The living cell uses it as a source of energy and metabolic intermediate...
to lactic acid. Embden worked out the precise steps involved in the breakdown. This cellular metabolic sequence from glycogen to lactic acid became known as the Embden-Meyerhof pathway.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Gustav Embden' Start a new discussion about 'Gustav Embden' Answer questions from other users |
Gustav Georg Embden (November 10, 1874 - July 25, 1933) was a
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
chemistChemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter, as well as the changes it undergoes during chemical reactions...
who conducted studies on
carbohydrate metabolismCarbohydrate metabolism denotes the various biochemical processes responsible for the formation, breakdown and interconversion of carbohydrates in living organisms....
and
muscle contractionMuscle fiber generates tension through the action of actin and myosin cross-bridge cycling. While under tension, the muscle may lengthen, shorten or remain the same...
, and was the first to discover and link together all the steps involved in the conversion of
glycogenGlycogen is the molecule that functions as the secondary long-term energy storage in animal cells. It is made primarily by the liver and the muscles, but can also be made by glycogenesis within the brain and stomach...
to
lactic acidLactic acid , also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in several biochemical processes. It was first isolated in 1780 by a Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, and is a carboxylic acid with a chemical formula of C
3H
6O
3...
. In 1918
Otto Fritz MeyerhofOtto Fritz Meyerhof was a German-born physician and biochemist.-Biography:Meyerhof was born in Hanover, the son of wealthy Jewish parents. He spent most of his childhood in Berlin, where he started his study of medicine...
explained
cellularThe cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos...
metabolismMetabolism is the set of chemical reactions that occur in living organisms to maintain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories. Catabolism breaks down organic matter,...
by showing that it involved the breakdown of
glucoseGlucose , a monosaccharide also known as - grape sugar, blood sugar, or corn sugar, is a very important carbohydrate in biology. The living cell uses it as a source of energy and metabolic intermediate...
to lactic acid. Embden worked out the precise steps involved in the breakdown. This cellular metabolic sequence from glycogen to lactic acid became known as the Embden-Meyerhof pathway. He had also previously studied the
liverThe liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals; it has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
's metabolic processes, laying a foundation for understanding diabetes.