The Analytical Basis of Biochemistry

It is possible to identify several apparently disconnected themes which led ultimately to the analysis of the chemistry of living cells. Perhaps the first biochemical experiment in Europe may have been that of van Helmont (1579-1644), a physician with a profound interest in chemistry. He grew a willow tree in a weighed amount of earth, watered it for five years and then weighed the earth and the tree again. The 

1820 Quinine Strychnine Brucine Cinchonine Plants Pelletier Caventou 

The great impact of the quantitative analytical approach on the development of structural organic chemistry made Liebig one of the most influential chemists of his time. 

Since then organic chemistry has become a cornerstone of biochemistry. 

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