Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Caffeine Metabolism

Nature volume 204, page 73 (1964)Cite this article

Abstract

SOME plants contain organic compounds of potent physiological action on the animal organism; but as far as is known no biological function in the plants themselves. Are they waste end-products of metabolism ? Are they the result of detoxification mechanisms ? Are they produced to discourage attack by insects and animals ? Or are they mere ‘accidents’ or by-products of faulty metabolism—or perhaps even the results of evolutionary biochemical experiments not yet discarded ?

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wilson, A. T., Nature, 191, 714 (1961).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Wilson, A. T., and Gumbley, J. M., Nature, 197, 711 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wilson, A. T., Gumbley, J. M., and Spedding, D. J., Nature, 198, 500 (1963).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Rafter, T. A., Tenth Pacific Sci. Conf., Hawaii, August, 1960, J. Geod. and Geophys. (in the press).

  5. Broecker, W. S., Gerard, R., Ewing, M., and Heezen, B. C., J. Geophys. Res., 65, 2903 (1960).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

    D. J. SPEDDING & A. T. WILSON

Authors
  1. D. J. SPEDDING
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. T. WILSON
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

SPEDDING, D., WILSON, A. Caffeine Metabolism. Nature 204, 73 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/204073a0

Download citation

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/204073a0

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing