Episode 2 of 3
Berzelius Coins the Term
- When
- 1838
- Where
- Swedish Academy context
Berzelius coined the term 'protein' in 1838, derived from Greek, to reflect the fundamental nature of these substances.
The term protein itself was coined by Berzelius in 1838. It is derived from the Greek word 'proteios', meaning 'of the first rank'. Berzelius proposed the name because proteins were so fundamental to living organisms.
Sources
- Jöns Jacob Berzelius Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-25
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.