33: I Want a New Drug

We learn about the successes in finding structures for biochemical compounds like chlorophyll, steroidal molecules and bile acids, cholesterol, vitamin D, and bufotoxin. Other vitamins which were analyzed were vitamin A and vitamin B6. B6 has a pyridine structure. Chemists came to understand terpenes, found in places like pine trees. The blood molecule hemin has a similar structure to chlorophyll. Alkaloids and then the building blocks of DNA, the bases, were given structures. 

As for drugs, we learn of salvarsan, sulfanilamide, penicillin, and finally protein. Its amino acids were found in the early 1900s, but the full structures of various proteins were not confirmed as yet.

Patreon supporters can view a supplemental sheet showing molecular structures of some of the compounds I mention in this episode.

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