Henrik Dam and Edward Doisy: What Is the Scientist Name of Vitamin K?

December 28, 2025 •

3 min read

Danish biochemist Carl Peter Henrik Dam was the first to report the existence of vitamin K in 1929 after observing coagulation issues in chicks on a cholesterol-free diet. This initial discovery set the stage for further research that would eventually answer the question: what is the scientist name of vitamin K? The answer involves not one, but two Nobel Prize-winning researchers.

Quick Summary

Danish researcher Henrik Dam discovered vitamin K's existence and function in coagulation. American biochemist Edward Doisy isolated the compound and determined its structure. They shared the 1943 Nobel Prize for their work.

Key Points

Discovery: Danish biochemist Henrik Dam first discovered vitamin K while studying chicks on a cholesterol-free diet, noting they developed coagulation problems.
Naming: Dam named the substance vitamin K, based on the German word for coagulation, “Koagulation”.
Isolation: American biochemist Edward Doisy successfully isolated vitamin K and determined its chemical structure.
Nobel Prize: Dam and Doisy shared the 1943 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries.
Forms: Vitamin K exists in different forms, including K$_1$ (from plants) and K$_2$ (from bacteria and animal products), which have varying functions in the body.
Primary Function: Vitamin K's most recognized function is its role in blood clotting, but it is also essential for bone and cardiovascular health.

The Scientific Discovery of Vitamin K

Henrik Dam's Early Research

The story of vitamin K begins in the late 1920s with Danish biochemist Carl Peter Henrik Dam. While studying cholesterol metabolism in chickens, he observed severe hemorrhages and a lack of blood clotting ability in birds on a low-fat diet, leading him to believe a new fat-soluble nutrient was missing. He named this antihemorrhagic substance the "koagulation factor," which led to the name vitamin "K".

Edward Doisy's Isolation and Structural Work

American biochemist Edward Adelbert Doisy and his team at Saint Louis University later took on the challenge of identifying the chemical structure of vitamin K. They successfully isolated and purified two forms: vitamin K$_1$ from alfalfa and vitamin K$_2$ from fish meal. Doisy's work revealed the common 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone ring structure of vitamin K, which was crucial for understanding its function and enabling its synthesis.

A Shared Nobel Prize

For their significant contributions, Henrik Dam and Edward Adelbert Doisy were jointly awarded the 1943 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Their research, though conducted separately, was complementary and critical to understanding vitamin K's role and therapeutic potential, particularly in preventing bleeding in newborns. Due to the war, they received their awards in 1944.

The Different Forms of Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a group of fat-soluble compounds called vitamers. The main forms are:

Vitamin K$_1$ (Phylloquinone): Found in green leafy vegetables, it is the primary dietary source and essential for blood clotting.
Vitamin K$_2$ (Menaquinones): Produced by bacteria and present in fermented and animal foods, menaquinones are crucial for functions beyond clotting, particularly bone and cardiovascular health.
Vitamin K$_3$ (Menadione): A synthetic form not typically used in supplements due to potential toxicity.

Key Functions of Vitamin K in the Body

Vitamin K acts as a cofactor for the enzyme $GGCX$, which activates proteins essential for various bodily functions.

Blood Coagulation

Vitamin K is vital for synthesizing key blood clotting factors in the liver, preventing excessive bleeding.

Bone Health

It activates proteins like osteocalcin, which helps integrate calcium into bone, supporting bone strength.

Cardiovascular Health

Vitamin K helps prevent arterial calcification by activating matrix Gla protein, potentially reducing the risk of heart disease.

Comparison of Vitamin K$_1$ and Vitamin K$_2$


Feature	Vitamin K$_1$ (Phylloquinone)	Vitamin K$_2$ (Menaquinones)
Source	Plants, especially green leafy vegetables	Animal products and fermented foods, also produced by gut bacteria
Primary Role	Liver-based synthesis of blood clotting factors	Extrahepatic functions, particularly bone and cardiovascular health
Bioavailability	Absorbed less efficiently due to strong binding to chloroplasts in plants	Higher bioavailability, especially long-chain menaquinones like MK-7
Half-Life	Short half-life, meaning blood levels fluctuate more	Long half-life for certain forms (e.g., MK-7), leading to more stable blood levels

A Legacy of Discovery

The combined efforts of Henrik Dam and Edward Doisy highlight the collaborative nature of scientific progress. Their foundational work on vitamin K's discovery, isolation, and structural identification has had a lasting impact on medicine and our understanding of this essential nutrient's diverse roles in the body. For more information on their Nobel Prize, you can visit the Nobel Prize Organization website.

Conclusion

The scientist names most associated with vitamin K are Henrik Dam and Edward Adelbert Doisy, who were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1943 for their work. Dam first identified the vitamin and its role in blood coagulation, while Doisy isolated its main forms (K$_1$ and K$_2$) and determined their structures. Their research established vitamin K's vital functions in blood clotting, bone health, and cardiovascular health.

Frequently Asked Questions

The two scientists most associated with the discovery of vitamin K are Henrik Dam, a Danish biochemist, and Edward Adelbert Doisy, an American biochemist.

Henrik Dam and Edward Doisy were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1943, though they received it in 1944 due to the war.

Henrik Dam named it vitamin K after the German spelling for coagulation, 'Koagulation', which reflected the vitamin's antihemorrhagic, or blood-clotting, properties.

Dam first identified the existence of the vitamin and its function in coagulation through his experiments with chickens. Doisy isolated the pure compounds and determined the chemical structure of vitamin K$_1$ and K$_2$.

Vitamin K$_1$ (phylloquinone) comes from plants and is primarily involved in blood clotting, while vitamin K$_2$ (menaquinones) is found in animal and fermented foods and plays a larger role in bone and cardiovascular health.

Vitamin K supplementation is routinely given to newborns to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB), a serious condition that can cause severe internal hemorrhaging.

Good sources of vitamin K$_1$ include leafy greens like kale and spinach, while vitamin K$_2$ is found in fermented foods like natto, as well as eggs, meat, and cheese.