Word: oxytocin
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Synthetic Hormone. After working for many years on the mixture of powerful hormones secreted by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain, Biochemist du Vigneaud succeeded in isolating oxytocin, which stimulates the uterus contractions of childbirth and starts the flow of milk. Then he took oxytocin apart and determined its chemical structure. Final step was to make it synthetically. This was an extremely difficult job, because oxytocin is a polypeptide, a protein-like compound made of eight amino acids, and probably the most complex substance ever synthesized. But Dr. du Vigneaud's synthetic hormone passed all tests...