La vitamina C y algo más: Un premio Nobel poco conocido en Chile / A biographical sketch of Albert Szent-Györgyi

ABSTRACT

Albert Szent-Györgyi was a Hungarian biochemist and physiologist. He identified the structure and function of vitamin C, naming it as ascorbic acid. His research on cellular respiration and oxidation provided the basis for Krebs’ citric acid cycle. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1937. With his collaborators, he discovered the biochemical basis of muscle contractility, isolating the basic proteins, giving them the name myosin and actin. Later on, he worked on the theory of carcinogenesis, linked to electron movements. He was one of the first researchers to describe the connection between free radicals and cancer. He lived a long, very complete life, defending always his opinion and freedom.