chemistry

Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist)

Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist) is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist) rather than just read about it. In short: Thomas Burr Osborne (August 5, 1859 – January 29, 1929) was an American biochemist who, with Lafayette Mendel, independently discovered Vitamin A, though Elmer McCollum and Marguerite Davis were ultimately given credit, as they had submitted their paper first by three weeks. He is known for his work isolating and characterizing seed proteins, and for determining protein nutritional requirements.

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Reference excerpt

Thomas Burr Osborne (August 5, 1859 – January 29, 1929) was an American biochemist who, with Lafayette Mendel, independently discovered Vitamin A, though Elmer McCollum and Marguerite Davis were ultimately given credit, as they had submitted their paper first by three weeks. He is known for his work isolating and characterizing seed proteins, and for determining protein nutritional requirements. His career was spent at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

Biography Thomas Burr Osborne was born in New Haven, Connecticut on August 5, 1859. He was the son of lawyer Arthur Dimon Osborne and the grandson of US Representative Thomas Burr Osborne. He earned an undergraduate degree from Yale College in 1881, and a PhD in chemistry there in 1885. He married Elizabeth Annah Johnson on June 23, 1886, and they had one son. Osborne died at his home in New Haven on January 29, 1929.

Career His life exhibited "a single purpose, the understanding of the relationships of proteins to each other and the animal world. He began his researches upon vegetable proteins in 1888,..." He published his findings in The Vegetable Proteins in 1909. Osborne realized the polypeptide structure of proteins: "The nature of proteins in seeds was greatly elucidated in the opening years of the 20th century by T.B. Osborne, who developed methods for their isolation and purification, by means of which he discovered the chemical differences in proteins of various plants. His work revealed an imposing number of vegetable proteins. Osborne considered that the amino acids are for the most part united in the protein molecule in polypeptide union; that is, by the union of the NH2 of one amino acid with the carboxyl group of another."

The American chemist Thomas B. Osborne was (viewed retropectively) head and shoulders above most of his contemporaries: compulsive attention to meticulous purification, reproducibility, error analysis, etc. shine through all his work. Although most of his work was carried out on seed proteins ... his results had far-reaching significance. Osborne wrote over 100 papers with longtime collaborator Lafayette Mendel. Both were appointees of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. In their early work, they studied the deadly poison ricin which is classified as a type 2 ribosome inactivating protein (RIP) from castor beans. In 1909, Osborne and Mendel's work found what amino acids are necessary for the survival of the laboratory rat. At the Connecticut experimental station they developed a lab with about 200 rats whose dietary intake was carefully controlled. Their studies on rats revealed the necessary elements in a healthy diet. The program was described by J.R. Lindsey and H.J. Baker:

The striking differences in amino acid composition of plant proteins, which had been documented by Osborne, suggested that possible differences might exist in their biological value. The nutritive values of various purified proteins from cereal grains and other plant sources were compared for growth and maintenance in rats. This led to supplementation of "incomplete proteins" with those amino acids limiting each foodstuff's "biological quality" (e.g. Tryptophan and lysine). Casein was found to be a "complete protein", thus paving the way for the use of this protein in modern rat diets. Within a few years it was possible to list the "essential" and "nonessential" amino acids. The science of nutrition thus evolved beyond the caloric energy of food, turning to the structural issue of essential amino acids. Osborne was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1910, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1914, and the American Philosophical Society in 1921.

Vitamin A discovery Osborne and Mendel discovered Vitamin A in 1913 in butter fat – independently discovered by Elmer McCollum and Marguerite Davis, who submitted their publication first, with both papers appearing in the same issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Osborne and Mendel showed, for example, that a lack of Vitamin A in the diet led to xerophthalmia. They also established the importance of lysine and tryptophan in a healthy diet. "Water-soluble vitamin B" found in "protein-free milk" was also shown to be an essential nutrient.

Works 1894: "The Proteids of the Kidney Bean", Journal of the American Chemical Society 16(10): 703–712, doi:10.1021/ja02108a012 1902: "Sulfur in protein bodies", Journal of the American Chemical Society 25: 323 to 53 1907: The Proteins of the Wheat Kernel, Carnegie Institution of Washington via archive.org 1909: The Vegetable Proteins from archive.org 1916: (with L. B. Mendel) "The Growth of Rats upon Diets of Isolated Food Substances", Biochemical Journal 10:534–8 . 1917: (with L. B. Mendel) "The Relative Value of Certain Proteins and Protein Content Supplements to Corn Gluten", Journal of Biological Chemistry 29:69–92. 1924: The Vegetable Proteins, second edition via Internet Archive

References

Illustrations

Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist) illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist)

In research: Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist) appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1859 births, 1929 deaths, American biochemists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

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Why does Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist) matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

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Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Thomas Burr Osborne (chemist).