Hans Krebs

Hans Adolf Krebs
Hans Adolf Krebs
Born	(1900-08-25)25 August 1900 Hildesheim, Germany
Died	22 November 1981(1981-11-22) (aged 81) Oxford, England
Nationality	German-British
Known for	Krebs cycle, Urea cycle
Awards	Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1953)
Scientific career
Fields	Biochemistry

Hans Adolf Krebs (25 August 1900 – 22 November 1981) was a German-born British biochemist who made significant contributions to the field of biochemistry. He is best known for his discovery of the Krebs cycle (also known as the citric acid cycle) and the urea cycle, which are fundamental metabolic pathways in cellular respiration and nitrogen metabolism, respectively.

Early Life and Education

Hans Krebs was born in Hildesheim, Germany, to a Jewish family. He attended the University of Göttingen and later the University of Freiburg, where he studied medicine. Krebs completed his medical degree in 1925 and subsequently worked in the laboratory of Otto Warburg, a prominent biochemist, at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin.

Career and Research

In 1932, Krebs discovered the urea cycle, the first metabolic cycle to be elucidated. This cycle describes the process by which ammonia is converted into urea in the liver, a crucial detoxification pathway for nitrogenous waste in mammals.

In 1933, due to the rise of the Nazi regime and its anti-Semitic policies, Krebs emigrated to England. He joined the University of Sheffield, where he continued his research. In 1937, Krebs published his discovery of the Krebs cycle, a series of chemical reactions used by all aerobic organisms to generate energy through the oxidation of acetate derived from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into carbon dioxide and water.

The Krebs Cycle

The Krebs cycle is a central metabolic pathway that plays a critical role in cellular respiration. It takes place in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells and involves a series of enzymatic reactions that produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), as well as reducing agents such as NADH and FADH2. These reducing agents are then used in the electron transport chain to generate further ATP.

Awards and Honors

Hans Krebs was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1953, shared with Fritz Lipmann, for his discovery of the citric acid cycle. He was also knighted in 1958 for his contributions to science.

Legacy

Krebs' work laid the foundation for modern biochemistry and has had a lasting impact on the understanding of metabolic processes. His discoveries are fundamental to the study of metabolism and have implications in various fields, including medicine, nutrition, and physiology.

Also see

• Krebs cycle
• Urea cycle
• Cellular respiration
• Metabolism
• Otto Warburg