description Ulf von Euler Overview
Ulf von Euler was a Swedish physiologist and pharmacologist who shared the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Julius Axelrod and Bernard Katz. He received the award for identifying norepinephrine as the principal neurotransmitter of the sympathetic nervous system. Euler's research focused on how nerve impulses are transmitted, and he also discovered important bioactive peptides like prostaglandins and Substance P. His work provided a structural understanding of the nervous system's chemical messaging.
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What specific neurotransmitter did Ulf von Euler identify?
Ulf von Euler definitively identified norepinephrine (also known as noradrenaline) as the primary neurotransmitter released by the sympathetic nervous system. Prior to his research, scientists were unsure exactly how nerve endings transmitted their signals to regulate bodily functions like heart rate and blood pressure.
Who did Ulf von Euler share the 1970 Nobel Prize with?
Euler shared the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with British biophysicist Bernard Katz and American biochemist Julius Axelrod. The three scientists were recognized for their independent discoveries concerning the storage, release, and inactivation mechanisms of chemical neurotransmitters.
What other important physiological substances did Ulf von Euler discover?
Besides norepinephrine, Euler also discovered and isolated two other vital classes of endogenous substances. In 1935, he discovered a vasodilating peptide he named "substance P," and a few years later he identified the phospholipid "prostaglandin."
Did Ulf von Euler come from an academic family?
Yes, Ulf von Euler came from a highly distinguished academic family. His father, Hans von Euler-Chelpin, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1929, and his godfather, Svante Arrhenius, also won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
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