The discovery of vitamin K began with a cholesterol-free diet experiment involving chickens that had been stripped of essential fats. By isolating a compound necessary for blood clotting, Henrik Dam successfully identified the substance that German researchers had already categorized as Koagulationsvitamin, eventually leading to his recognition on the global scientific stage.
Academic Foundation
Born in Copenhagen in 1895, Dam pursued his education within the Danish academic system. He earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry from the Copenhagen Polytechnic Institute, now known as the Technical University of Denmark, in 1920. Following this, he transitioned into teaching roles at the School of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. By 1923, he advanced to the position of instructor in biochemistry at the Physiological Laboratory of the University of Copenhagen. He broadened his technical repertoire in 1925 by studying microchemistry under Fritz Pregl at the University of Graz before returning to his home institution.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Research and Doctoral Advancement
Upon his return to the University of Copenhagen, Dam continued his ascent through the faculty. He was named an assistant professor at the Institute of Biochemistry in 1928, maintaining that role into the following year. His academic focus remained consistent, culminating in the submission of his thesis, Nogle Undersøgelser over Sterinernes Biologiske Betydning, in 1934. This work on the biological significance of sterines earned him a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Copenhagen.
The Vitamin K Investigation
Dam's laboratory work replicated experiments previously reported by scientists at the Ontario Agricultural College, specifically McFarlane, Graham, and Richardson. By utilizing chloroform to extract fats from chick feed, he observed that the subjects developed hemorrhages and bled from tag sites. When he added purified cholesterol to the diet, the defect persisted. He concluded that a secondary compound had been stripped away alongside the cholesterol, which he identified as essential for coagulation. This discovery earned him the 1943 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, shared with Edward Doisy.
Later Career and Legacy
During the mid-1940s, Dam served as a senior research associate at the University of Rochester between 1942 and 1945. His visibility in the scientific community remained high, as evidenced by his participation in the inaugural Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in 1951, where he was one of seven recipients of the award in attendance. Dam lived in his native Copenhagen throughout his life, where he eventually died in 1976 and was buried at Bispebjerg Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1895, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Died: 1976, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Education: Technical University of Denmark, University of Graz
- Key Discovery: Vitamin K (Koagulationsvitamin)
- Major Award: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1943)
- Doctoral Degree: PhD in biochemistry, 1934
- Burial Site: Bispebjerg Cemetery
- Languages: Danish
Questions readers ask
Why is the nutrient called vitamin K?
It received the letter K because the initial findings were published in a German journal where it was identified as Koagulationsvitamin.
What led to the discovery of vitamin K?
Dam observed that chicks fed a fat-depleted diet experienced hemorrhaging that could not be reversed by adding purified cholesterol, proving the existence of a separate, vital compound.
Achievements
- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine — 1943
- Held posts at Technical University of Denmark and University of Copenhagen
- Educated at Technical University of Denmark and University of Graz
- Fields of research: biochemistry and physiology
