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Barbituric acid, the base material of barbiturates, was first synthesized in 1863 by Adolph von Bayer. His company later went on to synthesize aspirin for the first time, and Bayer aspirin is still a popular brand today.
In most cases, kidneys can recover from almost complete loss of function, such as in acute kidney (renal) failure.
More than 2,500 barbiturates have been synthesized. At the height of their popularity, about 50 were marketed for human use.
Bacteria have been found alive in a lake buried one half mile under ice in Antarctica.
Drugs are in development that may cure asthma and hay fever once and for all. They target leukotrienes, which are known to cause tightening of the air passages in the lungs and increase mucus productions in nasal passages.