부산대학교 도서관

In the first half of the 20th century, the experimental research of chemists, biochemists and physiologists in collaboration with doctors led to the discovery of a new class of biologically active compounds – vitamins. Many of these scientists were awarded the Nobel Prizes. Thanks to their efforts, almost all currently known vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B9, B12, C, A, E, K) were identified, their structure and the mechanism of biological action were characteri­zed. Many vitamins were found to serve as coenzymes in important biochemical conversions. This article talks about the history of the discovery of the most familiar vitamins and scientists involved in their research. The contribution made by these distinguished scientists to the development of modern­ biochemical science, in particular, vitaminology, cannot be overestimated.