Justus von Liebig and nutrition science - reflections on his animal chemistry in the light of science history (part 1)
- 12.02.2003
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K. D. Schwenke, Teltow
There are several milestones in the development of nutrition research in the 19th century indicating a new understanding of scientific work. One of these is Liebig’s book ‘Die organische Chemie in ihrer Anwendung auf Physiologie und Pathologie‘ (Animal Chemistry, or Organic Chemistry inits Application to Physiology and Pathology).It was for the first time that research into physiological processes takes chemical and physical principles into account and that physiological processes are conceived as metabolic processes. Liebig thought that heat produced by the animal organism is due to oxidation of dietary compounds by oxygen inhaled and that the heat generated correlates with oxygen equivalents.
To Liebig, proteins, in the form of a hypothetic primary protein structure (postulated by Mulder), are the essential blood and tissue producing compounds of plant origin. Accordingly, he differentiated between plastic and respiratory food, i. e. between proteins on the one hand and fats, carbohydrates, etc. on the other. Minerals also belonged to the essential food components. Liebig was sure that carbohydrates may be converted into fat by the animal organism.
Keywords: Justus von Liebig / Animal Chemistry / nutrition science / science history. EU02/03
Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs-Umschau 01/03 ab Seite 54.
