Friedrich Wöhler
Friedrich Wöhler
1800-1882
German chemist responsible for proving that organic compounds do not need a vital force supplied by a living tissue in order to be made. In 1828 Wöhler heated the inorganic compound ammonium cyanate and found that it was converted into urea. Urea is a nitrogen-containing compound that is produced by the metabolism of proteins in mammals and found in the urine. Wöhler proved that metabolic processes are chemical in nature by showing that benzoic acid was converted to hippuric acid. Another significant contribution was the discovery of calcium carbide, which reacts with water to produce acetylene. See long biography on p. 180.
More From encyclopedia.com
Pyruvic acid , pyruvic acid A three-carbon keto acid (i.e. containing a ketone group) that occupies a central position in cell metabolism. It represents the final p… Friedrich Wohler , Wöhler, Friedrich
WöHLER, FRIEDRICH
(b. Eschersheim, near Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, 31 July 1800; d Göttingen, Germany, 23 September 1882)
chemistr… Sulfuric Acid , Sulfuric acid, H2SO4, is a strong mineral acid, which is a viscous (thick and syrupy), oily liquid that has for years been the most widely used chemi… Citric Acid , OVERVIEW
Citric acid (SIT-rik AS-id) is also known as 2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid and β-hydroxytricarballylic acid. It is a common cons… Oxalic Acid , OVERVIEW
Oxalic acid (ok-SAL-ik AS-id) is a transparent, colorless, crystalline solid that often occurs as the dihydrate (HOOCCOOH·2H2O). The dihydra… Lipolysis , lipolysis The breakdown of storage lipids in living organisms. Most long-term energy reserves are in the form of triglycerides in fats and oils. When…
You Might Also Like
NEARBY TERMS
Friedrich Wöhler