Friedrich Sertürner
German chemist who discovered morphine

Born
June 19th, 1783
242 years ago
Died
1841
184 years ago — 58 years old
Category
Scientists & Innovators
Country
Germany
Links & References
A German chemist and pharmacist, significant contributions included the isolation of morphine from opium in 1804. This compound became the first natural opiate and laid the groundwork for modern pain management. Sertürner's work was crucial in advancing medicinal chemistry and the pharmaceutical industry. His findings not only contributed to scientific understanding of alkaloids but also had profound implications for medicine and pharmacology.
Isolated morphine from opium in 1804
First to identify a natural opiate
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