Saba Parvin Haque

MSc in Neuroscience
from “Sophia College For
https://www.youtube.com/chann
Women”, Mumbai. el/UCAiarMZDNhe1A3Rnpr_WkzA
https://images.app.goo.gl/2HLV5KZJ6D2rvjjb6 https://images.app.goo.gl/pJD3nizX3MXFVQWD6 https://images.app.goo.gl/DjxxDamCsTKgJf5n7
 History
‘Vitamine’ was coined in 1911 by Polish chemist Casimir Funk.
Casimir Funk
https://images.app.goo.gl/ZcJYtiFUbt4XRLVd8

• Christiaan Eijkman was a Dutch physician and professor of

physiology whose demonstration that beriberi is caused by poor
diet led to the discovery of antineuritic vitamins.
Christiaan Eijkman
• Together with Sir Frederick Hopkins, he received the Nobel Prize for
https://images.app.goo.gl/yP497cXpokqHotMG6

Physiology or Medicine in 1929 for the discovery of vitamins.

Sir Frederick Hopkins
https://images.app.goo.gl/2ZHVebh5XLMhYHCG7

• Adolf Windaus (Nobel prize, 1928) elucidated the structure of the vitamin.

Adolf Windaus
https://images.app.goo.gl/zTz7BBaNp9CzmTVz8
 Introduction
Vitamins may be regarded as 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.

It is believed that during the course of evolution, the ability to

synthesize vitamins was lost. Hence, the higher organisms have
to obtain them from diet
https://images.app.goo.gl/NFkmnmnXHWqcUvdy8

The vitamins are required in small amounts, since their

degradation is relatively slow
E.coli does not require any vitamin, as it can synthesize all of
them.
https://images.app.goo.gl/KMXnR9yMqHrUEM9F9
Classification of vitamins
There are about 13 vitamins, essential for humans. They are classified as fat soluble (A,
D, E and K) and water soluble (C and B-group) vitamins as shown in the below figure.

1
2
3 1
4
1 1
2 2
3
4
5
6

Source: Satyanarayana, U. (2013). Biochemistry (4th ed.).

 Vitamins are grouped into two categories:

❑Fat-soluble vitamins ❑ Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the

are stored in the body's body.
liver, fatty tissue, and ❑ The nine water-soluble vitamins are vitamin C
muscles. and all the B vitamins.
❑The four fat-soluble ❑ Any leftover or excess amounts of these leave
vitamins are vitamins A, the body through the urine.
D, E, and K.
❑ They have to be consumed on a regular basis to
❑These vitamins are prevent shortages or deficiencies in the body.
absorbed more easily
by the body in the ❑ The exception to this is vitamin B12, which can
presence of dietary fat. be stored in the liver for many years.
 Difference Between
Water Soluble And Fat Soluble Vitamins
Water-Soluble Vitamins Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Meaning
As the name states – vitamins that can
Similarly, vitamins that dissolve in fat are
dissolve in water are called water-soluble
called fat-soluble vitamins
vitamins
Example
Vitamin B, C Vitamin A, D, E, K
Site of Absorption
Small intestine Small intestine

Affinity to Water
Hydrophilic Hydrophobic
 Difference Between
Water Soluble And Fat Soluble Vitamins
Water-Soluble Vitamins Fat-Soluble Vitamins
How Body Handles Excess
Excess vitamins are excreted by the kidney Excess is stored in the body’s fatty tissues
Transportation
Many vitamins require carriers (proteins) to
Travels freely in the bloodstream
travel in the blood
Toxicity
Low toxicity Comparatively more toxic
Deficiency
Symptoms appear rather quickly Symptoms take time to manifest
 Function
https://images.app.goo.gl/e41EfbbugvHMvZYDA https://images.app.goo.gl/9dA7NWN2TvDDxe3L6

•Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucus membranes, and skin.
• It is also known as retinol because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye.
• Vitamin A promotes good eyesight, especially in low light. It also has a role in healthy pregnancy and
breastfeeding.

•Vitamin D is also known as the "sunshine vitamin," since it is made by the body after being in the
sun.
• Ten to 15 minutes of sunshine 3 times a week is enough to produce the body's requirement of vitamin
D for most people at most latitudes.
• People who do not live in sunny places may not make enough vitamin D. It is very hard to get enough
vitamin D from food sources alone.
• Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium.
• You need calcium for the normal development and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones. It also
helps maintain proper blood levels of calcium and phosphorus.
 Function
https://images.app.goo.gl/W4cAjFCs7CRbEfiY9 https://images.app.goo.gl/5q7Ucu8F6sEW6qkF8

•Vitamin E is an antioxidant also known as tocopherol.

• It helps the body form red blood cells and use vitamin K.
•Vitamin K is needed because without it, blood would not stick
together (coagulate). Some studies suggest that it is important for
bone health.

alpha-Tocopherol C29H50O2 https://images.app.goo.gl/NJ4TtcASrdoHfGZr8

https://images.app.goo.gl/jRnnfXzMYRDEZHRNA
 Function
https://images.app.goo.gl/aR7D4mDTNca5k1h46
https://images.app.goo.gl/Bn2xco3T72uf77Mp8

• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) helps the body cells change carbohydrates into energy.
• Getting enough carbohydrates is very important during pregnancy and
breastfeeding.
• It is also essential for heart function and healthy nerve cells.
https://images.app.goo.gl/LBo2qgMxJBPXCgM27

• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) works with the other B vitamins.

• It is important for body growth and the production of red blood cells.

https://images.app.goo.gl/tb5vnuT7Tf8CKcZ99
 Function
https://images.app.goo.gl/nraSAQh6EpxnwJZMA
https://images.app.goo.gl/QC597aM9VFx1EZBe7

•Vitamin B3 (Niacin) is a B vitamin that helps maintain healthy skin and nerves.
• It also has cholesterol-lowering effects at higher doses.
• It is also important for changing food to energy.
• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) is essential for the metabolism of food.
• It also plays a role in the production of hormones and cholesterol.

https://images.app.goo.gl/F16HyYaNCZhD6wq16 https://images.app.goo.gl/popQzhhh5VsEbas79 https://images.app.goo.gl/2iUS1srej5QV4Cuo9

 Function
https://images.app.goo.gl/A2bEKHx2RCHQ46486 https://images.app.goo.gl/hVLSqaAKrMYDcufF6

•Vitamin B6 is also called pyridoxine.

• Vitamin B6 helps form red blood cells and maintain brain function.
• This vitamin also plays an important role in the proteins that are part of many
chemical reactions in the body.
• The more protein you eat the more pyridoxine your body requires.

https://images.app.goo.gl/CiXttdQsLTRKAqFr8

•Vitamin B7 (Biotin) is essential for the metabolism of proteins and

carbohydrates, and in the production of hormones and cholesterol.
https://images.app.goo.gl/SQRovgghh5LYAeaV6
 Function
https://images.app.goo.gl/uFZpabLEwwk71eW96
https://images.app.goo.gl/Dhouua3Yt73ENEr77

•Vitamin B9 (Folate) works with vitamin B12 to help form red blood cells.
• It is needed for the production of DNA, which controls tissue growth
and cell function.
• Any woman who is pregnant should be sure to get enough folate.
• Low levels of folate are linked to birth defects such as spina bifida.
• Many foods are now fortified with folate in the form of folic acid.

•Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin), like the other B vitamins, is important for metabolism.
• It also helps form red blood cells and maintain the central nervous system.
 Function
https://images.app.goo.gl/Qhp5orEGsGCH73gM6 https://images.app.goo.gl/9v8bmPC8cEFVVVD57

•Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is an antioxidant that

promotes healthy teeth and gums.
• It helps the body absorb iron and maintain healthy tissue.
• It is also essential for wound healing.

https://images.app.goo.gl/YP87bgEzkf8m1bSv9
 References
• Vitamins. (n.d.). . https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002399.htm
• Satyanarayana, U. (2013). Biochemistry (4th ed.).
• A. (2021, March 22). General Data Protection Regulation(GDPR) Guidelines
BYJU’S. BYJUS. https://byjus.com/biology/difference-between-fat-soluble-and-
water-soluble-vitamins/