Vitamins Flashcards
(24 cards)
What is the importance of vitamins?
- Act as co-enzymes and cofactors in biological reactions.
What are co-enzymes and cofactors?
Any non-protein substance required by protein for biological activity - enzyme catalyst
Name the water soluble vitamins.
B1, B2, B6, B12, C, Choline, Folates, Nicotinic acid, Pantothenic acid,
Name the fat soluble vitamins.
A, D, E, K
What is the name of vitamin B1?
Thiamine
List the sources of B1.
- Liver
- Fresh veg
- Husk of cereal grains
What is the function of Thiamine?
Required as a co-factor in oxidative decarboxylation reactions e.g ATP production.
What is the name of thiamine deficiency and how does it effect the body?
Beriberi affects tissue with a high ATP demand. Wet beriberi affects the heart and circulatory system and dry beriberi damages the nerves leading to decreased muscle strength and muscle paralysis.
Characteristics of Beriberi.
- Parasthesia
- Enlarged heart
- Wrist and foot drop
- Muscle weakness
- Digestive disturbance
Which people is Beriberi most likely to effect?
- Alcoholics
- Communities subsisting on polished rice
Characteristics of Wernick’s Encephalopathy.
- Nystagmus = rapid involuntary eye movements
- Ophthalmoplegia = paralysis of eye muscles
- Ataxia = unsteady gait/shaky movements
Characteristics of Korsakoff’s syndrome.
- Amnesia
- Additional psychiatric manifestations
What is the name of Nicotinic acid deficiency?
Pellagra
Characteristics of pellagra.
4 Ds:
- Dermatitis
- Diarrhoea
- Dementia
- Death
What are the areas most likely to experience pellagra?
Places where it is difficult to obtain green veg, fruit and animal protein.
What is the name of vitamins B12?
Cobalamin
What is the source of cobalamin?
Microorganisms such as meat, fish, shell fish and poultry.
What are the effects of the defective absorption of vitamin B12?
Achlorhydria - absence of HCL in stomach therefore no hydrolysis of cobalamin. This leads to diseases such as Sprue - deficient absorption of food due to diseased SI.
What are the symptoms of tropical sprue?
- Diarrhoea
- Weight loss
- Inflamed tongue
- Anaemia
- Infection
Symptoms of cobalamin deficiency?
- Megaloblastic anaemia
- Neurological disorders - paraesthesia
What is Megaloblastic anaemia?
Deficiency in cobalamin –> Blood cells to large and cannot enter bloodstream –> Anaemia
Symptoms of Anaemia.
- Fatigue
- Breathlessness
- Pallor
What are the two forms of Vitamin A?
Retinol - Liver and eggs
Retinal - Carrots and spinach
Why do we need vitamin A?
- Required for visual pigment - Rhodopsin
- Normal brain development
