What is Eduard Buchner best known for?
I am best known for demonstrating that alcoholic fermentation can be carried out by cell-free extracts of yeast. This work, particularly detailed in 'Alkoholische Gärung ohne Hefezellen,' directly challenged the prevailing vitalist theory that a 'life force' residing within living cells was essential for such processes. My experiments showed that the transformation of sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide was a chemical reaction, catalyzed by substances within the yeast. I isolated a complex of enzymes, which I termed 'zymase,' responsible for this remarkable chemical transformation. This discovery laid crucial groundwork for the understanding of enzyme function and paved the way for modern biochemistry.
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