Chemistry: 1928

Windaus, Adolf Otto pronounced VIHN dows, (1876-1959), a German organic chemist, was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1928 for his research into sterols (complex, solid, unsaturated alcohols) and their connection with vitamins, particularly vitamin D.

Windaus spent about 30 years establishing the structure of cholesterol, a substance that is associated with many disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Windaus rightly assumed that sterols are the parent substances of other groups of natural substances. In 1919, he managed to transform cholesterol into cholanic acid, a substance found in bile. This demonstrated that bile acids are related to sterols. Windaus also attempted to create natural amino acids by the action of ammonia on sugar.

In the 1920's, Windaus started to study vitamin D, which is similar to cholesterol in structure. In the 1930's, he continued to research the chemistry of natural products, such as colchicine, a drug used to treat cancer and gout, and vitamin B. His research also provided important information about the chemistry of sex hormones, and about such drugs as digitalis, which can be used to treat heart conditions.

Adolf Otto Reinhold Windaus was born in Berlin. He started studying medicine at the University of Berlin but became more interested in chemistry. He also studied and later taught at the universities of Freiburg and Gottingen, in Germany, and at Innsbruck, Austria.