Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.
🔑Concepts
Vitamins are organic compounds required in the diet in small amounts to perform specific biological functions for normal maintenance of optimum growth and health of the organism.
Classification based on solubility: Fat-soluble vitamins (Vitamins and ) are soluble in fats and oils but insoluble in water. They are stored in liver and adipose (fat storing) tissues.
Water-soluble vitamins: Vitamins of group (, etc.) and Vitamin are soluble in water. They must be supplied regularly in diet because they are readily excreted in urine and cannot be stored (except Vitamin ) in our body.
Vitamin (Biotin) is an exception as it is neither soluble in water nor in fat.
Important Vitamins and Deficiency Diseases: Vitamin (Xerophthalmia/Night blindness), Vitamin (Beri-beri), Vitamin (Cheilosis), Vitamin (Pernicious anaemia), Vitamin (Scurvy), Vitamin (Rickets/Osteomalacia), Vitamin (Increased fragility of RBCs/Muscular weakness), Vitamin (Increased blood clotting time).
Vitamin is chemically known as Ascorbic Acid () and is found mainly in citrus fruits.
📐Formulae
💡Examples
Problem 1:
Why cannot Vitamin be stored in our body?
Solution:
Vitamin is a water-soluble vitamin.
Explanation:
Because it is soluble in water, it is readily excreted from the body through urine and is not stored in the liver or adipose tissues like fat-soluble vitamins. Therefore, it must be supplied regularly in the diet.
Problem 2:
Name the vitamin whose deficiency causes 'Pernicious Anaemia' and mention its unique metallic constituent.
Solution:
Vitamin (Cyanocobalamin); Central metal atom: (Cobalt).
Explanation:
Vitamin is essential for the maturation of Red Blood Cells (). Its deficiency leads to a decrease in , a condition known as pernicious anaemia. It contains a coordination complex of Cobalt ().
Problem 3:
A person is suffering from the lengthening of blood clotting time. Which vitamin deficiency is likely responsible?
Solution:
Vitamin (Phylloquinone).
Explanation:
Vitamin is essential for the synthesis of prothrombin and other clotting factors in the liver. A deficiency of Vitamin results in a decrease in these factors, leading to delayed blood coagulation and increased bleeding tendencies.