Introduction to Vitamins

Question 1

What are vitamins?

Answer 1

Vitamins are micronutrients that the body cannot synthesize or cannot adequately synthesize.

Question 2

Vitamins are activated to form ________________ which facilitate reactions in the body by activating enzymes.

Answer 2

coenzymes

Question 3

Deficiency of vitamins is termed avitaminosis and it can arise due to various reasons. List these reasons.

Answer 3

1. Deficient/inadequate diet
2. Insufficient utilization
3. Malabsorption of vitamin
4. Increased requirement of the vitamin e.g. a person recovering, during pregnancy amount of vitamin requirement increases. Children need a lot of vitamin for growth and development.
5. Increased excretion

Question 4

Excess of vitamins is termed ____________________. Vitamin A and D are toxic when taken in high quantities.

Answer 4

hypervitaminosis.

Question 5

List the fat-soluble vitamins.

Answer 5

Vitamin A (retinol), Vitamin D (calciferol), Vitamin E (α- tocopherol) and Vitamin K (2-methyl-1, 4- naphthoquinone).

Question 6

List the water-soluble vitamins.

Answer 6

• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (Nicotinic acid or niacin)
• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)
• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
• Vitamin B7 (Biotin)
• Vitamin B9 (Folic acid)
• Lipoic acid
• Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Question 7

List the substances that are no longer classified as vitamins.

Answer 7

Vitamin B4(Adenine), Vitamin B8(Inositol), Vitamin B10(pABA) and Vitamin B11 (Salicylic acid)

Question 8

__________________ help in digestion and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

Answer 8

Bile salts