Karl Albert Hasselbalch

Karl Albert Hasselbalch (September 10, 1874 – October 19, 1962) was a Danish physician and chemist known for his contributions to the field of biochemistry and respiratory physiology. He is best remembered for the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, which he derived in collaboration with Lawrence Joseph Henderson. This equation is fundamental in the understanding of acid-base homeostasis in the body.

Early Life and Education

Karl Hasselbalch was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He pursued his medical degree at the University of Copenhagen, where he developed an interest in chemical physiology. After completing his medical degree, Hasselbalch worked in various hospitals in Denmark, focusing on the application of chemistry to medicine.

Career and Research

In 1908, Hasselbalch was appointed to the Carlsberg Laboratory, where he shifted his focus towards the study of blood gases and the acid-base balance of the blood. It was here that he conducted his most notable work on the carbon dioxide content in the blood and its role in acid-base balance.

Hasselbalch's approach to understanding the acid-base properties of blood was through the application of the law of mass action to the carbonic acid-bicarbonate system. This led to the formulation of the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation in 1916, which describes the pH of a buffer solution in terms of the concentration of the acid and its conjugate base. This equation has since become a cornerstone in the fields of biochemistry and medicine, especially in the understanding of the body's acid-base homeostasis.

Throughout his career, Hasselbalch also made significant contributions to the understanding of oxygen transport in the blood, the regulation of respiration, and the chloride shift in red blood cells.

Legacy

Karl Hasselbalch's work laid the foundation for modern acid-base physiology and has had a lasting impact on the fields of biochemistry, physiology, and medicine. His contributions to the understanding of the body's acid-base balance have been critical in the development of treatments for conditions such as acidosis and alkalosis. The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation remains a fundamental principle taught to students in the health sciences.

Selected Publications

• Hasselbalch, K. A. (1916). "Über die Berechnung der Wasserstoffzahl des Blutes aus der freien und gebundenen Kohlensäure desselben, und die Sauerstoffbindung des Blutes als Funktion der Wasserstoffzahl." Biochemische Zeitschrift.

See Also

• Acid-base reaction theories
• Blood pH
• Respiratory physiology