Dorothy M. Needham
Encyclopedia
Dorothy Mary Moyle Needham FRS (22 September 1896, London
– 22 December 1987) was an English biochemist known for her work on the biochemistry of muscle
. She was married to biochemist Joseph Needham
.
Dorothy Mary Moyle was born in London, to patent clerk John Moyle. She attended Claremont College, Stockport
before entering Girton College at the University of Cambridge
. At Girton she became interested in chemistry, and biochemistry in particular after attending the lectures of Frederick Gowland Hopkins. After completing undergraduate studies in 1919, she was offered a research position with Hopkins—one of the few scientific leaders at Cambridge at the time who offered research opportunities for women—and she earned an Master of Arts
in 1923, and a Ph.D.
in 1930.
Moyle's first major research, in collaboration with Dorothy L. Foster, focused on the interconversion of lactic acid
and glycogen
in muscle, recapitulating the work of Otto Meyerhof. After that, she studied the roles of succinic acid
, fumaric acid
, and malic acid
in muscle metabolism, as well as the biochemical differences and relationships between aerobic and anaerobic
pathways.
Her major work: Machina Carnis: The Biochemistry of Muscular Contraction in its Historical Development which traces all the developments in the field since 1600, was published in 1971 and reissued in paperback in 2009.
She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1948, as her husband had been in 1941.
She was awarded an Doctor of Science
in 1945.
She was a fellow of Girton College, Cambridge
, a co-founder and fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge
and one of the first women fellows of Caius College.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
– 22 December 1987) was an English biochemist known for her work on the biochemistry of muscle
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
. She was married to biochemist Joseph Needham
Joseph Needham
Noel Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham, CH, FRS, FBA , also known as Li Yuese , was a British scientist, historian and sinologist known for his scientific research and writing on the history of Chinese science. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1941, and as a fellow of the British...
.
Dorothy Mary Moyle was born in London, to patent clerk John Moyle. She attended Claremont College, Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
before entering Girton College at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. At Girton she became interested in chemistry, and biochemistry in particular after attending the lectures of Frederick Gowland Hopkins. After completing undergraduate studies in 1919, she was offered a research position with Hopkins—one of the few scientific leaders at Cambridge at the time who offered research opportunities for women—and she earned an Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1923, and a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1930.
Moyle's first major research, in collaboration with Dorothy L. Foster, focused on the interconversion of lactic acid
Lactic acid
Lactic acid, also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in various biochemical processes and was first isolated in 1780 by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. Lactic acid is a carboxylic acid with the chemical formula C3H6O3...
and glycogen
Glycogen
Glycogen is a molecule that serves as the secondary long-term energy storage in animal and fungal cells, with the primary energy stores being held in adipose tissue...
in muscle, recapitulating the work of Otto Meyerhof. After that, she studied the roles of succinic acid
Succinic acid
Succinic acid is a dicarboxylic acid. Succinate plays a biochemical role in the citric acid cycle. The name derives from Latin succinum, meaning amber, from which the acid may be obtained....
, fumaric acid
Fumaric acid
Fumaric acid or trans-butenedioic acid is the chemical compound with the formula HO2CCH=CHCO2H. This white crystalline compound is one of two isomeric unsaturated dicarboxylic acids, the other being maleic acid. In fumaric acid the carboxylic acid groups are trans and in maleic acid they are cis...
, and malic acid
Malic acid
Malic acid is an organic compound with the formula HO2CCH2CHOHCO2H. It is a dicarboxylic acid which is made by all living organisms, contributes to the pleasantly sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms , though only the L-isomer exists...
in muscle metabolism, as well as the biochemical differences and relationships between aerobic and anaerobic
Anaerobic respiration
Anaerobic respiration is a form of respiration using electron acceptors other than oxygen. Although oxygen is not used as the final electron acceptor, the process still uses a respiratory electron transport chain; it is respiration without oxygen...
pathways.
Her major work: Machina Carnis: The Biochemistry of Muscular Contraction in its Historical Development which traces all the developments in the field since 1600, was published in 1971 and reissued in paperback in 2009.
She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1948, as her husband had been in 1941.
She was awarded an Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
in 1945.
She was a fellow of Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. It was England's first residential women's college, established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon. The full college status was only received in 1948 and marked the official admittance of women to the...
, a co-founder and fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge
Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge
Lucy Cavendish College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is a women-only college, which admits only postgraduates and undergraduates aged 21 or over....
and one of the first women fellows of Caius College.