You
probably know that chemistry is the science of matter – of stuff.
Biology is the science of living
things.
Which makes biochemistry the
science of the stuff, the materials, that living things are made out
of...
Henry
C. Sherman,
born in the U.S. on this day in 1875, did analysis of vitamins and
minerals to figure out what they do for us and also how much we need
of each one.
Sherman
was a very careful experimental scientist, and he did each experiment
many times before publishing. He was associated with Columbia
University for 60 years, won many medals and honors, and was the
author of ten books. I am shocked to tell you that there is no
Wikipedia article about him! This is truly a first for me! There are
Wikipedia articles on almost everything—including the high school
down the street from me, the Korean-American actor who plays my
favorite character in the TV show The
Mentalist,
the nearby shopping mall, and the author of some little-known books
that were favorites of mine when I was a child!
So,
if anyone wants a writing assignment that will contribute to the
world, how about writing up Henry Clapp Sherman for the world's
favorite freebie encyclopedia?
Cyril
Ponnamperuma, born in Sri
Lanka on this day in 1923, became a leading expert on the chemical
origins of life.
Ponnamperuma
moved from Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka, to India, then
England, and then the U.S., as he pursued higher and higher education
and degrees. He became closely involved with NASA, becoming an
“exobiologist,” one who searches for life beyond Earth.
Check
out biochemistry at the
Chem4Kids website.
Experiments
can be found at Home Biology.
There
are several kids' books about biochemistry, exobiology, and the
closely related astrobiology. Here is one.
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