Jens Christian Skou was a Danish scientist and medical doctor who is credited for the discovery of an ion-transporting enzyme, sodium potassium activated adenosine triphosphate (Na+ K+-ATPase). The discovery earned him a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1997, half of which he shared with Paul Boyer and John E Walker. A student of medicine, Skou’s interest in research grew while he was investigating the active mechanism of local anaesthetic drugs. In the late 1950s, he discovered the fact that nerve cell membranes of crabs contain an enzyme, sodium potassium ATPase, which in the form of the sodium potassium pump helps to maintain the salt balance between the cells and the tissue fluid by pumping sodium ions out of the cells and potassium ions into the cells. This, in turn, helped in maintaining a high intracellular concentration of potassium and a low concentration of sodium relative to the surrounding external environment. His work also led to the discovery of similar ATPase-based enzymes, including the ion pump that controls muscle contraction. Apart from carrying out research work, Skou also held important academic positions.
