BIOCHEMICAL MECHANISM OF RETINOL (VITAMIN

A) IN VISION

A SEMINAR PRESENTED

BY

NJOKU, DIRICHUKWU FAVOUR

IMT/SLT/STH/H2020/7/010

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE LABORATORY

TECHNOLOGY

(BIOCHEMISTRY OPTION)

INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

(IMT), ENUGU

SUPERVISOR: AGBO, CYNTHIA CHISOM

JUNE, 2022
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page i
Table of contents ii
Abstract iii
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction 1
1.1 Background of study 1
CHAPTER TWO
2.1 Vitamin A overview 3
2.2 Vitamin A metabolism 4
2.3 Biochemical mechanisms for vitamin a functions 6
CHAPTER THREE
3.1 Biochemical function of vitamin A in vision 8
3.1.1 Wald’s visual cycle 9
3.1.2 Colour vision 11
3.2 Physiological functions of vitamin A 12
3.3 Dietary sources of vitamin A 13
3.4 Other biochemical functions of vitamin A 14
3.5 Vitamin deficiency 15
3.6 Hypervitaminosis of vitamin A 16
CHAPTER FOUR
4.1 Conclusion 17
4.2 Recommendations 18
References 19
 ABSTRACT
Vitamin A is a group of unsaturated nutritional organic compounds that includes
retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, and several provitamin  A carotenoids  (most notably
beta-carotene). Vitamin A has multiple functions: it is important for growth and
development, for the maintenance of the immune system and good vision.
Vitamin A functions at two levels in the body. The first is in the visual cycle in the
retina of the eye; the second is in all body tissues systemically to maintain growth
and the soundness of cells. In the visual system, carrier-bound retinol is
transported to ocular tissue and to the retina by intracellular binding and
transport proteins. Rhodopsin, the visual pigment critical to dim-light vision, is
formed in rod cells after conversion of all-trans retinol to retinaldehyde,
isomerization to the 11-cis-form, and binding to opsin. Alteration of rhodopsin
through a cascade of photochemical reactions results in ability to see objects in
dim light. Vitamin A is found in a variety of natural foods such as carrot, kale, seet
potatoe, pumpkin etc. The bioavailability of carotene in food is variable because
the efficacy of metabolic processes that convert carotene into retinol varies from
one person to another. Night blindness (nictalopia) is the earliest symptoms of
vitamin A deficiency. Individuals possess difficulty to see in dim light since the
dark adaptation time is increased. Severe deficiency of vitamin A causes
xerophthalmia which is characterized by dryness in conjunctiva, cornea and
keratinization of epithelial cells. Therefore it is recommended that vitamin A
fortification and supplementation policies need to be promoted as the
epidemiologic, nutritional and sociological scientific basis of human nutrition
expands, specifically to reduce the widespread of its deficiencies in the public
health.