October 22nd is Charles King's birthday and marks the passing of Albert Szent-Györgyi. Both men were biochemists who were involved with the discovery and chemistry of vitamin C. King separated vitamin C from lemons while trying to isolate the chemical that prevents scurvy. Szent-Györgyi isolated vitamin C from plants and adrenal gland extracts and described the steps of the citric acid cycle. The citric acid cycle describes how food becomes carbon dioxide, water and energy in cells.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an antioxidant that is essential for human nutrition. Vitamin C deficiency can lead to a disease called scurvy, which is characterized by abnormalities in the bones and teeth. Many fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, but cooking destroys the vitamin, so raw citrus fruits and their juices are the main source of ascorbic acid for most people.
Find out what else occurred on this day in science history.
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