Biology - Vitamins

Introduction

• Vitamin is one of the most essential organic compounds that organisms require for the growth and maintenance of the body.

• Unlike other nutrients, vitamins are classified by their biological and chemical activity, instead of their structure.

• The term vitamin was derived from a compound word namely "vitamin."

• The Polish biochemist Kazimierz Funk, first used the compound word ‘vitamin’ in 1912.

• Usually, vitamins are represented by the English capital letters, e.g. A, B, C, E, etc.

• The body of a human being stores different vitamins widely; the vitamins A, D, and B12 are stored in substantial amounts, generally in the liver.

• Deficiency of vitamins causes disease.

• Based on solubility, vitamins are classified as water soluble vitamins and fat soluble vitamins.

• Water-soluble vitamins can dissolve easily in water.

• On the other hand, fat-soluble vitamins can be dissolved easily in fat.

• Further, fat-soluble vitamins get absorbed easily through the intestinal tract.

List of Vitamins

• By the time, thirteen vitamins are comprehensively recognized.

• The following table illustrates the list of vitamins with their properties −

Functions of Vitamins

• Vitamins have different biochemical functions, significant of them are −

  • Like hormone, vitamin D regulates and helps in mineral metabolism

  • Vitamin D also regulates and helps cells and tissue growth

  • Vitamin C and vitamin E act as antioxidants

  • Vitamin B complex acts as co-enzymes or the precursors of enzymes and helps them as catalysts in metabolic activities.