Today, Google Doodle honors the 140th birthday of Casimir Funk, a Polish-American biochemist who introduced the concept of vitamins and vital nutrients that are essential for human health. His groundbreaking research helped prevent and cure several life-threatening diseases, such as beriberi, scurvy, pellagra, and rickets.
From Poland to the world
Casimir Funk was born in Warsaw, Poland, on February 23, 1884. He showed an early interest in biology and chemistry, and pursued his studies in Switzerland, where he obtained his PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Bern. He then worked at various research institutions across Europe, where he became fascinated by the role of food elements in different diseases.
The birth of vitamines
In 1911, Funk made a remarkable discovery while working at the Lister Institute in London. He isolated a substance from rice husks that could prevent and cure beriberi, a disease caused by a deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1). He named this substance “vitamine”, combining the Latin word for life (viva) and the chemical term for an amino group (amine). Also he hypothesized that other diseases, such as scurvy, pellagra, and rickets, could be caused by the lack of other vitamines.
Funk published his findings in a book titled The Vitamines in 1912, and received a fellowship to continue his research. He later moved to New York City in 1915, and became a US citizen in 1920. He held various positions at US universities and corporations, and continued to explore the biochemistry of vitamins, hormones, diabetes, peptic ulcers, and cancer. Also he determined the molecular structure of thiamine, the first vitamin to be isolated and identified.
A legacy of health and science
Casimir Funk died on November 19, 1967, in Albany, New York, at the age of 83. He left behind a legacy of scientific and nutritional discoveries that have improved the health and well-being of millions of people around the world. He is widely regarded as the father of vitaminology, and his contributions have been recognized by several awards and honors, such as the Casimir Funk Natural Sciences Award, given annually by the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America to Polish-American scientists.
Today, we celebrate his 140th birthday with a Google Doodle that depicts him holding a flask of vitamines, surrounded by fruits and vegetables that are rich in these vital nutrients. Happy birthday, Casimir Funk!
