Alec Todd

Alec Todd was a British chemist whose research established the chemical structures of nucleotides and coenzymes. He received the 1957 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

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Alexander R. Todd: The full name of British chemist Alec Todd, born Alexander Robertus Todd. This is Todd’s formal name, distinct from the familiar shortened form used as this page’s title.
Nucleotide: A molecule made of a nitrogenous base, a sugar, and one or more phosphate groups. Nucleotides were the central molecular objects whose structures Todd investigated.
DNA: A polymer of nucleotides that stores hereditary information in most organisms. Todd’s nucleotide chemistry contributed foundational knowledge about the units from which DNA is built.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry: An annual international award recognizing outstanding achievements in chemistry. Todd received the 1957 award for his work on nucleotides and nucleotide coenzymes.
George Beadle: An American geneticist who shared the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on gene function. Beadle’s work helped connect genetic inheritance to biochemical pathways Todd’s chemistry made more accessible.
Nucleoside: A molecule consisting of a nitrogenous base joined to a sugar, without phosphate. Distinguishing nucleosides from nucleotides helped define the components Todd synthesized and analyzed.
RNA: A polymer of ribonucleotides involved in gene expression and other cellular functions. The chemical structures Todd studied are the building blocks of RNA.
Royal Society: A British learned society that promotes excellence in science and supports scientific research. Todd served as president of the Royal Society from 1975 to 1980.
Arthur Harden: A British biochemist who studied fermentation and shared the 1929 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Harden’s coenzyme research was an earlier strand of the biochemical chemistry Todd advanced.
Phosphodiester bond: A covalent bond in which a phosphate group links two alcohol groups, including adjacent sugars in nucleic acids. Todd’s studies of phosphate chemistry informed understanding of the linkages joining nucleotide units.