Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Which book by Justus von Liebig is considered a foundational work of modern biochemistry?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Justus, baron von Liebig
Justus von Liebig, photograph by F. Hanfstaengl, 1868.
The book by Justus von Liebig that is considered a foundational work of modern biochemistry is Die organische Chemie in ihrer Anwendung auf Physiologie und Pathologie (published in English as Animal Chemistry or Organic Chemistry in Its Applications to Physiology and Pathology), released in 1842.1
In this influential text, Liebig attempted to explain the metabolic processes by which food is transformed into bodily tissues and how those tissues are subsequently degraded to produce animal heat and muscular work. While many of his specific conclusions were later proven incorrect, his innovative approach of analyzing metabolism from a chemical perspective inspired decades of subsequent scientific research.1