Nobel prize winners in metabolism history and diabetology

Abstract

The 20th century was the time of large-scale discoveries and their widespread recognition. Metabolism studies and their role in living organisms deserve special attention. The chemical, physical, and biological metabolic reactions are the basis of life. Known details of these reactions are the key to understanding energy processes occurring in living organisms. Many scientists have devoted their scientific careers to the study different metabolic processes, and their most fundamental and landmark discoveries have been awarded with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This award, the most iconic achievement for any scientist, has been given since the beginning of the 20th century for the most outstanding discoveries for all mankind. This review of the literature highlights the most important metabolic discoveries of the 20th century that have played a key role in understanding how all living organisms work: the catalytic conversion of glycogen (Cori cycle), the tricarboxylic acid cycle (Krebs cycle), and cholesterol and the role of adenohypophysis hormones in glucose metabolism.