30. 8. 1884 - 1971
Theodor Svedberg se narodil 30. srpna 1884 ve ÜvΘdskΘ obci FlerΣng. Theodor Svedberg postupn∞ studoval na Ükole v K÷pingu, st°ednφ Ükolu v ╓rebro a Gothengurgskou modernφ Ükolu (ukonΦil ji v roce 1903). Od ledna 1904 studoval na univerzit∞ v Uppsale. V roce 1905 zde zφskal bakalß°sk² titul a v roce 1908 doktorßt filozofie.
V roce 1905 p°ijal Svedberg mφsto asistenta v ChemickΘm institutu v Uppsale. O dva roky pozd∞ji zaΦal na uppsalskΘ univerzit∞ p°ednßÜet fyzikßlnφ chemii. V roce 1912 byl Theodor Svedberg zvolen profesorem fyzikßlnφ chemie na univerzit∞ v Uppsale. Pozd∞ji zde byl °editelem Institutu jadernΘ chemie Gustava Wernera.
Svedberg se zam∞°il p°edevÜφm na zkoumßnφ koloid∙ a makromolekulßrnφch slouΦenin. Ve svΘ disertaΦnφ prßci Studien zur Lehre von den kolloiden L÷sungen (1908) vysv∞tlil nov² zp∙sob zφskßvßnφ koloidnφch Φßstic a podal jasnΘ d∙kazy platnosti Brownova pohybu (zßklad teorie polo₧il Einstein a von Smoluchowski). Tφm takΘ dokßzal existenci molekul. V dalÜφ v∞deckΘ prßci se Theodor Svedberg v∞noval zkoumßnφ fyzikßlnφch vlastnostφ koloid∙ (dif∙ze, absorbce sv∞tla, sedimentace). Pro v²zkumy sedimentace mu poslou₧ila jφm sestrojenß ultracentrifuga, ve kterΘ lze zkoumat v roztoku obsa₧enΘ velkΘ molekuly (nap°. bφlkoviny, karbohydrßty a slo₧itΘ polymery).
In
the ultracentrifuge the large molecules are put under the influence of
centrifugal forces up to about 106 gravity. The findings were
related to molecular size and shape. He showed that the molecules of certain
pure proteins are all of one size and demonstrated the use of the
ultracentrifuge to show the presence of contaminants. Later, he turned his
attention to the problems of nuclear chemistry and radiation biology. He has
also studied photographic processing, and assisted in photographing the famous
Codex argenteus in colour, which made this source of the Gothic
language available for research. During the Second World War he worked out a
method for making synthetic rubber.
Svedberg has contributed a large number of scientific papers to Swedish and
foreign journals on colloid and high-molecular solutions, nuclear chemistry
and radiation biology.
Among his publications the following books should be mentioned: Die
Methoden zur Herstellung kolloider L÷sungen anorganischer Stoffe (1909), Die
Existenz der Molekⁿle (1912), Colloid Chemistry (1914; sec. enl.
ed. with A.
Tiselius 1928 ), The Ultracentrifuge (with K.O. Pedersen 1940; also
in German). He has written several excellent popular books in Swedish, namely Materien
(1912; sec. ed. 1919; also German ed. 1914), Arbetets dekadens (1915,
1920; German ed. 1923) and Forskning och Industri (1918).
He has been awarded the John Ericsson Medal (1942), the Berzelius Medal
(1944), and the Medal of the Franklin Institute (1949). For his work on the
disperse systems he received the Nobel Prize in 1926.
To extend his knowledge Svedberg has visited numerous laboratories in foreign
countries and cities: Germany (1908), Holland and France (1912), Berlin
(1913), Vienna (1916), London and Paris (1920), England and Denmark (1922),
the United States and Canada (1922-1923).
He has been awarded honorary doctor's degrees in science and medicine, and,
amongst many other academies and learned societies, he is a member of the Swedish
Academy of Sciences, the Halle Academy, The Chemical Society (London), the
Indian Academy of Science, the American Philosophical Society (Philadelphia),
the New York Academy of
Sciences, the Royal
Society (London) and the National
Academy of Science (Washington).
Svedberg has married four times: in 1909, Andrea Andreen, a medical graduate;
in 1916, Jane Frodi; Ingrid Blomquist in 1938; and in 1948, Margit HallΘn,
M.A. He has twelve children, six sons and six daughters.
His hobbies are painting and botany.
Theodor (The) Svedberg died in 1971.
