1665 Robert Hooke had successfully invented the
microscope. Robert Hooke was the first one to have a close
look of a cell appears to be.
1674 Anton van Leeuwenhoek witnessed a live cell
(plant) under a microscope.
1775 Antoine Lavoisier first proposed a mechanism for
photosynthesis; cell respiration in animals
1777-83 Chemistry became dominated by the phlogiston
theory, or the hypothetical principle of fire wherein all the
combustible material was said to be composed of
phlogiston. In this principle, burning (oxidation) was
caused by liberating phlogiston, with ash as the
dephlogistigated substance
1836 The proponent of the cell theory in Biology,
THEODORE SCHWANN, proposed that the process of
fermentation is solely limited to living yeast cells in 1836.
Liebig did not agree to this and instead, he proposed
another alternative theory of fermentation.
1856 LOUIS PASTEUR opposed Liebigs chemical theory.
In his experiment, he showed that fermentation depends
highly on the physiological functions that occur in bacteria
and in living yeast cells.
1869 FRIEDRICH MIESCHER first identified what he called
nuclein inside the nuclei of human white blood cells.
1900s One of the most important events that happened
during this period is the experiment done by EDUARD
BUCHNER. He prepared a cell-free extract of yeast which
he called the zymase. It fermented glucose and produced
carbon dioxide and ethanol. In this way, Buchner then had
introduced the concept of an enzyme. This discovery of
Buchner had debunked the previous theory of protoplasm .
Furthermore, the distinction between catalysis by
hydrolytic extracellular enzymes and by intracellular
enzymes disappeared.
1904 The term Biochemistry was officially coined by
the German chemist CARL NEUBER.
1919 Phoebus Levene, a Russian physician and chemist,
first discovered the order of the three major components
of a single nucleotide (phosphate, pentose sugar, and
nitrogenous base). He was also the first to discover the
carbohydrate component of RNA (ribose), and
carbohydrate component of DNA (deoxyribose). Years later,
Levene finally identified how DNA and RNA molecules are
put together
1937 HANS KREBS discovered the process of the Citric
Acid Cycle (also known as Krebs cycle, in honor to him),
which a series of chemical reactions that occur during cell
respiration. Here, glucose and oxygen get converted to
water, carbon dioxide and energy.
1944 While working on bacterial samples, OSWALD
AVERY first suggested in 1944 that the genetic material of
the cell was possibly the deoxyribonucleic acid.
1950 A scientist named Erwin Chargaff began to
challenge Levenes previous conclusions. He noted that the
nucleotide composition of DNA differs among species and
do not repeat in the same order reached two major
conclusions [6].Chargaff concluded that almost all DNA, no
matter what organism or tissue type it comes from, still
maintains certain properties, even as its composition
varies. He postulated the Chargaffs Rule which says that
the amount of cytosine is equal to the amount of guanine,
and the amount of thymine is equal to the amount of
adenine. In short, the total amount of pyrimidines
(thymine and cytosine) approximates the amount of
purines (adenine and guanine).Utilizing all discoveries prior
to the, James Watson and Francis Crick were able to derive
the three-dimensional and double helical model of the
DNA in 1953[6]. After that, the process of replicating the
DNA was suggested.
1958 The theory was only confirmed after Frederick
Sanger discovered the first and complete protein structure
in 1958. The protein that was first identified is insulin.
1961 After the discovery of the genetic material, the next
achieved milestone was the cracking of the genetic code. It
was discovered in 1961 that the genetic code is made up of
specific triplets of DNA bases that encodes for particular
amino acids.
Arthur Kornberg isolated DNA polymerizing enzyme
Friedrich Wohler synthesized urea
Khorana and Nirenberg broke the complete genetic code
Antoine Lavoisier father of modern biochemistry; oxygen
is consumed and CO2 eliminated, heat evolved in the body
Louis Pasteur pasteurization, fermentation (concept of
aerobic and anaerobic organisms)
Hans Krebs urea cycle, citric acid cycle
Emil Fischer D glucose; lock and key of substrate and
enzyme