Peter Hochachka

Peter William Hochachka
Born(1937-03-09)March 9, 1937
Bordenave, Alberta
DiedSeptember 16, 2002(2002-09-16) (aged 65)
Vancouver
NationalityCanadian
Occupation(s)Zoologist, biochemist
EmployerUniversity of British Columbia
Known forAdaptational biochemistry
AwardsFlavelle Medal, Killam Memorial Prize, NSERC Gold Medal

Peter William Hochachka, OC FRSC (March 9, 1937 – September 16, 2002) was a Canadian professor and zoologist at the University of British Columbia (UBC).[1] He is known for his foundational work in creating the new field of adaptational biochemistry,[2][3] connecting metabolic biochemistry with comparative physiology.[4]

Hochachka did extensive field and laboratory work studying the biochemical basis for mechanisms of adaptation in multiple species and environments, including water (trout, tuna fish, squid, oysters), air (locusts, hummingbirds) and land (turtles, seals, and humans).[1] His book Biochemical Adaptation: Mechanism and Process in Physiological Evolution (1973) became "the bible for many comparative physiologists grasping for mechanisms to explain the diversity of adaptations".[5] Subsequent volumes in 1985 and 2002 continued to push the boundaries of the field.[5]

  1. ^ a b Somero, George N.; Suarez, Raul K. (17 March 2005). "Peter Hochachka: Adventures in Biochemical Adaptation". Annual Review of Physiology. 67 (1): 25–37. doi:10.1146/annurev.physiol.67.041904.120836. ISSN 0066-4278. PMID 15709951.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Order was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Jones, David R. (10 October 2002). "In Memoriam: Peter Hochachka". UBC News. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  4. ^ Buck, L.T.; Burness, G.; Campbell, K.L.; Darveau, C.-A.; Driedzic, W.; Guderley, H.; McClelland, G.B.; Moon, T.W.; Moyes, C.D.; Schulte, P.M. (October 2018). "50 years of comparative biochemistry: The legacy of Peter Hochachka" (PDF). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 224: 1–11. doi:10.1016/j.cbpb.2018.02.002. PMID 29501788. S2CID 3678894. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  5. ^ a b Moon, Thomas W. (15 January 2003). "Blueprint for an adventure". Journal of Experimental Biology. 206 (2): 212–213. doi:10.1242/jeb.00099. S2CID 84074700. Retrieved 1 March 2022.