Physicist and Nobel laureate Eugene Wigner is shown in this black-and-white portrait, wearing glasses, a striped suit, and a tie, with a composed expression. Known for his work in quantum mechanics and nuclear physics, Wigner made significant contributions to the understanding of atomic structure and symmetry principles in physics.
Physicist and Nobel laureate Eugene Wigner is shown in this black-and-white portrait, wearing glasses, a striped suit, and a tie, with a composed expression. Known for his work in quantum mechanics and nuclear physics, Wigner made significant contributions to the understanding of atomic structure and symmetry principles in physics.

Hans Adolf Krebs

Historical

Historical

Aug 25, 1900

-

Nov 22, 1981

Physicist and Nobel laureate Eugene Wigner is shown in this black-and-white portrait, wearing glasses, a striped suit, and a tie, with a composed expression. Known for his work in quantum mechanics and nuclear physics, Wigner made significant contributions to the understanding of atomic structure and symmetry principles in physics.

Hans Adolf Krebs

Historical

Historical

Aug 25, 1900

-

Nov 22, 1981

Biography

FAQ

Quotes

Biography

Sir Hans Adolf Krebs was a German-born British biochemist who contributed immensely to the discovery of metabolic cycles such as the Urea Cycle and the Citric Acid Cycle, also known as the Krebs Cycle. Hans was born in Hildesheim, Germany, to Georg Krebs, a surgeon specializing in ear, nose, and throat ailments. He first attended the University of Göttingen to do his medicine before moving to the University of Freiburg and later to the University of Berlin. He completed his M.D. in 1925 at the University of Hamburg and continued his studies in chemistry, to which he devoted his future career and biochemical research.

Krebs established his scientific career when he moved to the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Biology in Berlin, where he worked under Otto Warburg. He then went back to clinical work at different hospitals in Germany. His research was significant in the discovery of the urea cycle, a metabolic cycle responsible for synthesizing urea in the liver, and this was the first cycle ever discovered. Nonetheless, Krebs' experience in Germany was not extended because the Nazi regime expelled him from his university post because of his Jewish background. He escaped to Britain in 1933 and continued with his research. In 1937, while at the University of Sheffield, he identified the citric acid cycle, which is essential in aerobic organisms for energy metabolism. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1953.

Krebs later became a professor at the University of Oxford, leading several research studies in cell metabolism. He was knighted in 1958 for his services in science and published several papers until 1967 when he retired. Krebs remained scholarly even after his retirement, participating in more than one hundred scientific papers until he died in 1981 in Oxford.

Quotes

"Science means the pursuit of knowledge.The definition of science is an inquiry into facts."
"'Metabolism is the answer to all the questions in life.'"
"It is said that understanding metabolism is understanding life itself."
"As stated, the cell is the structural and functional unit of life, and the secret of life lies in the ability of the cell to metabolize energy."
"This notion teaches the world that discovery is usually arrived at through questioning conventional wisdom."
"The citric acid or Krebs cycle can be called the powerhouse of life."
"Metabolism is the process, and nature has done a perfect job of it."
"Cycles are the links that bind all life forms together."
"The human body is a biochemical machine composed of different organs and systems."
"The urea cycle was the first look at how the body handles nitrogenous waste."
"'All living things on Earth rely on the processes I have learned.'"
"In science, it is not about knowing but about enduring."
"Biochemistry is the science of life's secret."
"Energy transformation is the central concept of biological processes."
"The metabolic pathways are nature's perfect puzzle but are still unsolved."

FAQ

What is he best known for?

What is he best known for? Hans Krebs is most famous for discovering the citric acid cycle, also known as the Krebs and urea cycles.

What is meant by the Krebs cycle?

The Krebs cycle is a sequence of chemical reactions that takes place in the mitochondria of the cells and is necessary for the generation of ATP, a cell's currency.

What is meant by the urea cycle?

The urea cycle, also referred to as the Krebs–Henseleit cycle, is a biochemical pathway in the liver where ammonia is converted to a less toxic compound known as urea.

What was Krebs's reason for leaving Germany?

Krebs himself had to escape from Germany in 1933 because of his Jewish origin, which deprived him of his university job according to the Nazi's laws.

What did Krebs do for medicine?

Krebs' research in metabolic cycles, especially the citric acid cycle, has contributed to developing knowledge of cellular respiration and energy synthesis.

Did Hans Krebs win a Nobel Prize?

Krebs moved to England and worked at the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield, where he pursued his research on biochemistry.

What did Krebs do after he moved to England?

Krebs moved to England and worked at the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield, where he pursued his research on biochemistry.

What did Hans Krebs do for the scientific community?

Krebs' most significant contribution was the discovery of the citric acid cycle, which plays a crucial role in the biochemical process of energy production.

What accolades did Hans Krebs earn?

Besides the Nobel, Krebs was awarded the Royal Medal, the Copley Medal, and the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research.

What is Krebs's legacy in science?

Krebs's work paved the way for modern biochemical science, especially in elucidating metabolic sequences and energy liberation.

Biography

FAQ

Quotes

Biography

Sir Hans Adolf Krebs was a German-born British biochemist who contributed immensely to the discovery of metabolic cycles such as the Urea Cycle and the Citric Acid Cycle, also known as the Krebs Cycle. Hans was born in Hildesheim, Germany, to Georg Krebs, a surgeon specializing in ear, nose, and throat ailments. He first attended the University of Göttingen to do his medicine before moving to the University of Freiburg and later to the University of Berlin. He completed his M.D. in 1925 at the University of Hamburg and continued his studies in chemistry, to which he devoted his future career and biochemical research.

Krebs established his scientific career when he moved to the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Biology in Berlin, where he worked under Otto Warburg. He then went back to clinical work at different hospitals in Germany. His research was significant in the discovery of the urea cycle, a metabolic cycle responsible for synthesizing urea in the liver, and this was the first cycle ever discovered. Nonetheless, Krebs' experience in Germany was not extended because the Nazi regime expelled him from his university post because of his Jewish background. He escaped to Britain in 1933 and continued with his research. In 1937, while at the University of Sheffield, he identified the citric acid cycle, which is essential in aerobic organisms for energy metabolism. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1953.

Krebs later became a professor at the University of Oxford, leading several research studies in cell metabolism. He was knighted in 1958 for his services in science and published several papers until 1967 when he retired. Krebs remained scholarly even after his retirement, participating in more than one hundred scientific papers until he died in 1981 in Oxford.

Quotes

"Science means the pursuit of knowledge.The definition of science is an inquiry into facts."
"'Metabolism is the answer to all the questions in life.'"
"It is said that understanding metabolism is understanding life itself."
"As stated, the cell is the structural and functional unit of life, and the secret of life lies in the ability of the cell to metabolize energy."
"This notion teaches the world that discovery is usually arrived at through questioning conventional wisdom."
"The citric acid or Krebs cycle can be called the powerhouse of life."
"Metabolism is the process, and nature has done a perfect job of it."
"Cycles are the links that bind all life forms together."
"The human body is a biochemical machine composed of different organs and systems."
"The urea cycle was the first look at how the body handles nitrogenous waste."
"'All living things on Earth rely on the processes I have learned.'"
"In science, it is not about knowing but about enduring."
"Biochemistry is the science of life's secret."
"Energy transformation is the central concept of biological processes."
"The metabolic pathways are nature's perfect puzzle but are still unsolved."

FAQ

What is he best known for?

What is he best known for? Hans Krebs is most famous for discovering the citric acid cycle, also known as the Krebs and urea cycles.

What is meant by the Krebs cycle?

The Krebs cycle is a sequence of chemical reactions that takes place in the mitochondria of the cells and is necessary for the generation of ATP, a cell's currency.

What is meant by the urea cycle?

The urea cycle, also referred to as the Krebs–Henseleit cycle, is a biochemical pathway in the liver where ammonia is converted to a less toxic compound known as urea.

What was Krebs's reason for leaving Germany?

Krebs himself had to escape from Germany in 1933 because of his Jewish origin, which deprived him of his university job according to the Nazi's laws.

What did Krebs do for medicine?

Krebs' research in metabolic cycles, especially the citric acid cycle, has contributed to developing knowledge of cellular respiration and energy synthesis.

Did Hans Krebs win a Nobel Prize?

Krebs moved to England and worked at the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield, where he pursued his research on biochemistry.

What did Krebs do after he moved to England?

Krebs moved to England and worked at the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield, where he pursued his research on biochemistry.

What did Hans Krebs do for the scientific community?

Krebs' most significant contribution was the discovery of the citric acid cycle, which plays a crucial role in the biochemical process of energy production.

What accolades did Hans Krebs earn?

Besides the Nobel, Krebs was awarded the Royal Medal, the Copley Medal, and the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research.

What is Krebs's legacy in science?

Krebs's work paved the way for modern biochemical science, especially in elucidating metabolic sequences and energy liberation.

Biography

FAQ

Quotes

Biography

Sir Hans Adolf Krebs was a German-born British biochemist who contributed immensely to the discovery of metabolic cycles such as the Urea Cycle and the Citric Acid Cycle, also known as the Krebs Cycle. Hans was born in Hildesheim, Germany, to Georg Krebs, a surgeon specializing in ear, nose, and throat ailments. He first attended the University of Göttingen to do his medicine before moving to the University of Freiburg and later to the University of Berlin. He completed his M.D. in 1925 at the University of Hamburg and continued his studies in chemistry, to which he devoted his future career and biochemical research.

Krebs established his scientific career when he moved to the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Biology in Berlin, where he worked under Otto Warburg. He then went back to clinical work at different hospitals in Germany. His research was significant in the discovery of the urea cycle, a metabolic cycle responsible for synthesizing urea in the liver, and this was the first cycle ever discovered. Nonetheless, Krebs' experience in Germany was not extended because the Nazi regime expelled him from his university post because of his Jewish background. He escaped to Britain in 1933 and continued with his research. In 1937, while at the University of Sheffield, he identified the citric acid cycle, which is essential in aerobic organisms for energy metabolism. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1953.

Krebs later became a professor at the University of Oxford, leading several research studies in cell metabolism. He was knighted in 1958 for his services in science and published several papers until 1967 when he retired. Krebs remained scholarly even after his retirement, participating in more than one hundred scientific papers until he died in 1981 in Oxford.

Quotes

"Science means the pursuit of knowledge.The definition of science is an inquiry into facts."
"'Metabolism is the answer to all the questions in life.'"
"It is said that understanding metabolism is understanding life itself."
"As stated, the cell is the structural and functional unit of life, and the secret of life lies in the ability of the cell to metabolize energy."
"This notion teaches the world that discovery is usually arrived at through questioning conventional wisdom."
"The citric acid or Krebs cycle can be called the powerhouse of life."
"Metabolism is the process, and nature has done a perfect job of it."
"Cycles are the links that bind all life forms together."
"The human body is a biochemical machine composed of different organs and systems."
"The urea cycle was the first look at how the body handles nitrogenous waste."
"'All living things on Earth rely on the processes I have learned.'"
"In science, it is not about knowing but about enduring."
"Biochemistry is the science of life's secret."
"Energy transformation is the central concept of biological processes."
"The metabolic pathways are nature's perfect puzzle but are still unsolved."

FAQ

What is he best known for?

What is he best known for? Hans Krebs is most famous for discovering the citric acid cycle, also known as the Krebs and urea cycles.

What is meant by the Krebs cycle?

The Krebs cycle is a sequence of chemical reactions that takes place in the mitochondria of the cells and is necessary for the generation of ATP, a cell's currency.

What is meant by the urea cycle?

The urea cycle, also referred to as the Krebs–Henseleit cycle, is a biochemical pathway in the liver where ammonia is converted to a less toxic compound known as urea.

What was Krebs's reason for leaving Germany?

Krebs himself had to escape from Germany in 1933 because of his Jewish origin, which deprived him of his university job according to the Nazi's laws.

What did Krebs do for medicine?

Krebs' research in metabolic cycles, especially the citric acid cycle, has contributed to developing knowledge of cellular respiration and energy synthesis.

Did Hans Krebs win a Nobel Prize?

Krebs moved to England and worked at the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield, where he pursued his research on biochemistry.

What did Krebs do after he moved to England?

Krebs moved to England and worked at the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield, where he pursued his research on biochemistry.

What did Hans Krebs do for the scientific community?

Krebs' most significant contribution was the discovery of the citric acid cycle, which plays a crucial role in the biochemical process of energy production.

What accolades did Hans Krebs earn?

Besides the Nobel, Krebs was awarded the Royal Medal, the Copley Medal, and the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research.

What is Krebs's legacy in science?

Krebs's work paved the way for modern biochemical science, especially in elucidating metabolic sequences and energy liberation.

Life and achievements

Early life

Hans Adolf Krebs was born on August 25, 1900, in Hildesheim, Germany, in a home that could be characterized as an intellectually charged one. His father, Georg Krebs, was a renowned ear, nose, and throat surgeon, while his mother, Alma Davidson Krebs, was of Jewish-Silesian origin. He had a sister, Elizabeth, who was older than him, and a brother, Wolfgang, who was younger.

Krebs was academically inclined right from childhood and joined the Gymnasium Andreanum school in Hildesheim. His learning was interfered with when he was drafted into the German Army in September 1918 during the last stage of WWI. In April 1919, he took an emergency high school examination and received high scores, which he thought may have been because of sympathetic grading.

After the war, Krebs started attending the University of Göttingen in December 1918, following in his father's footsteps and choosing the course of medicine. His interest in science, especially biochemistry, developed during his university education at some institutions, such as the University of Freiburg and the University of Berlin.

He began his scientific work at an early age, and in 1923, he published his first scientific paper titled ''A Histological Method for Staining Tissues.'' He received his M.D. in 1925 from the University of Hamburg, and although he did some clinical work for a short period, he switched to biochemical research. This was the starting point of a career that would later bring an absolute change in the biochemical and metabolism cycles.

Legacy

Hans Krebs is best known for his findings in biochemistry, specifically in the metabolic cycles that revolutionized energy production among living organisms. Krebs's discovery of the urea cycle in 1932 and the citric acid cycle in 1937 offered basic knowledge regarding cell metabolism.

The citric acid or Krebs cycle became one of the most significant biological processes vital in cellular respiration, converting food to energy. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1953. The fact that the cycle was able to articulate how organisms can metabolize nutrients to energy cemented Krebs's legacy in science.

Krebs' achievements are not limited to his Nobel Prize-winning work. He also co-discovered the glyoxylate cycle, a process similar to the citric acid cycle in plants and bacteria, thus proving his impact on animal and plant physiology.

He is remembered for several awards, including the Sir Hans Krebs Prize in biochemistry, which the Society of Friends of Hannover Medical School offers. Furthermore, his work remains pertinent in areas like cancer and metabolic diseases, which is why Krebs is a giant in medical research.

The University of Sheffield, where Krebs was employed for many years, even set up the Krebs Institute in 1988 for biochemical research across the disciplines. The Krebs Institute continues to inspire future scientists.

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Your donation today shapes the future of how families and friends connect.
You will become a featured Ambassador.
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Your donation today shapes the future of how families and friends connect.
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Milestone moments

Aug 25, 1900

Creation of Hans Adolf Krebs
Hans Krebs was born into a middle-class German family in Hildesheim, a town in the Kingdom of Prussia.
His father, Georg, was a well-settled surgeon, and his mother, Alma, encouraged the family's academic ambitions.
Since childhood, Krebs was familiarized with science due to his father's medical practice.

Jun 6, 1925

Earn a medical degree and get a degree upon graduation
Krebs graduated in 1925 with a medical degree from the University of Hamburg, which was the beginning of his career in science.
He became more interested in research than in practicing as a doctor while studying.
This decision caused him to examine the relationship between medicine and chemistry, resulting in his biochemical training at the Pathological Institute of the Charité Hospital in Berlin.

Apr 16, 1932

Identification of the Urea Cycle
Krebs discovered the first breakthrough in his scientific career in 1932 by finding the urea cycle.
While working in Germany for the University of Freiburg, Krebs discovered the metabolic pathway through which the liver metabolizes the toxic ammonia into urea, a substance expelled from the body via urine.
This discovery was significant because it was the first metabolic cycle discovered, thus opening the door to further studies of how the body metabolized substances and released waste.

Mar 18, 1937

Krebs Cycle or Citric Acid Cycle
In 1937, while working at the University of Sheffield in England, Krebs made his most significant contribution to biochemistry, especially given the discovery of the citric acid cycle.
This cycle, also called the Krebs cycle, is a series of chemical reactions in the mitochondria of cells and is very important in producing energy.
The Krebs cycle states how organisms' carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are metabolized into carbon dioxide and water, releasing the energy in ATP.

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