Biology
🔒 Log in to trackVitamins, minerals and nutrition
🔒 Log in to trackVitamins
| Vitamin | Chemical name | Deficiency disease | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Retinol | Night blindness, xerophthalmia | Carrot, milk, fish-liver oil |
| B1 | Thiamine | Beriberi | Whole grains |
| B2 | Riboflavin | Cracked lips and mouth corners | Milk, eggs |
| B3 | Niacin | Pellagra (the '3 D's' — dermatitis, diarrhoea, dementia) | Groundnut, meat |
| B9 | Folic acid | Anaemia | Green leafy vegetables |
| B12 | Cobalamin (contains cobalt) | Pernicious anaemia | Animal foods |
| C | Ascorbic acid | Scurvy (bleeding gums) | Amla, citrus fruits |
| D | Calciferol | Rickets (children), osteomalacia (adults) | Sunlight, fish oil |
| E | Tocopherol | Reproductive problems/sterility; an antioxidant | Vegetable oils, nuts |
| K | Phylloquinone | Blood does not clot (haemorrhage) | Green leafy vegetables |
- Fat-soluble: A, D, E, K. Water-soluble: B-complex and C (not stored; C is destroyed by heating).
- Vitamin D is made in the skin in sunlight. The word 'vitamine' was coined by Casimir Funk.
Minerals
| Mineral | Role / deficiency |
|---|---|
| Iron | Haemoglobin; deficiency → anaemia |
| Iodine | Thyroxine; deficiency → goitre |
| Calcium, phosphorus | Bones and teeth |
| Sodium, potassium | Nerve impulses, fluid balance |
| Fluorine | Tooth enamel (excess → fluorosis) |
Macronutrients
- Energy per gram: fat about 9 kcal, carbohydrate about 4 kcal, protein about 4 kcal.
- Proteins are 'body-building' foods; carbohydrates are the main energy source; roughage (fibre) helps bowel movement.
- Kwashiorkor — protein deficiency (swollen belly); marasmus — deficiency of both protein and calories.
Detailed notes
Vitamins → deficiency diseases (the top table)
| Vitamin | Chemical name | Deficiency disease | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Retinol | Night blindness, xerophthalmia | Carrot, papaya, milk |
| B₁ | Thiamine | Beriberi | Whole grains, pulses |
| B₂ | Riboflavin | Cheilosis (cracked lips) | Milk, eggs |
| B₃ | Niacin | Pellagra (3 Ds) | Groundnut |
| B₁₂ | Cyanocobalamin | Pernicious anaemia | Meat, milk |
| C | Ascorbic acid | Scurvy (bleeding gums) | Amla, citrus |
| D | Calciferol | Rickets (children), osteomalacia (adults) | Sunlight, fish oil |
| E | Tocopherol | Sterility | Wheat germ |
| K | Phylloquinone | Poor clotting | Green leafy vegetables |
| Fat-soluble: A, D, E, K (stored in the body — excess can harm). Water-soluble: B-complex and C (washed out daily). Casimir Funk (1912) coined the word 'vitamine'. Sunlight on the skin makes vitamin D. Cooking destroys vitamin C most easily. |
Minerals → deficiency
Iron → anaemia (haemoglobin is iron-based); iodine → goitre (thyroxine); calcium → weak bones/teeth; phosphorus → bones + ATP; fluorine → too little causes dental caries, too much causes fluorosis; sodium and potassium → nerve and muscle function. Zinc: wound healing and immunity.
Malnutrition — the two classics
Kwashiorkor: protein deficiency with adequate calories — swollen belly, oedema, thin limbs, in children 1–3 years. Marasmus: deficiency of both protein and calories — the child is all skin and bones, under one year old. One-line hold: kwashiorkor = swollen, marasmus = shrunken. Obesity is the opposite imbalance; roughage (fibre) prevents constipation.
Food energy — the numbers
| Component | Energy |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrate | 4 kcal/g |
| Protein | 4 kcal/g |
| Fat | 9 kcal/g |
| Fat carries more than twice the energy per gram — hence a 30 g fat snack gives 30 × 9 = 270 kcal. A balanced diet splits roughly 60% carbohydrates, 25–30% fat, 10–15% protein of the calories. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the resting burn; an adult needs ≈ 2,000–2,500 kcal/day. |
Quick revision
- A–night blindness, B₁–beriberi, B₃–pellagra, B₁₂–pernicious anaemia, C–scurvy, D–rickets, E–sterility, K–clotting.
- Fat-soluble A D E K; water-soluble B and C; 'vitamine' = Casimir Funk; vitamin D from sunlight.
- Iron–anaemia, iodine–goitre, calcium–bones, fluorine–caries/fluorosis.
- Kwashiorkor = protein (swollen); marasmus = protein + calories (shrunken).
- Energy: carb 4, protein 4, fat 9 kcal/g.
Types of questions asked
Every way this subtopic shows up in exams — how to recognise it, the formula or logic to use, and a solved example.
Type 1: Vitamin → deficiency diseasevery common6 practice Q
'Scurvy is caused by deficiency of…', 'rickets / beriberi / night blindness / pernicious anaemia', wrong-pair questions on the vitamin table.
- Sing the ladder: A–night blindness, B₁–beriberi, B₃–pellagra, B₁₂–pernicious anaemia, C–scurvy, D–rickets, E–sterility, K–clotting.
- Alphabet anchor: C = Citrus = scurvy (sailors); D = sun = rickets; K = Koagulation = clotting.
- In wrong-pair questions, check D–rickets and C–scurvy first — they are the usual deliberate swaps. Why: fixed pairs, zero logic — pure table recall.
Example: Pernicious anaemia is caused by the deficiency of —
Vitamin B₁₂ (cyanocobalamin). Ordinary iron-deficiency anaemia is a different, more common condition.
Type 2: Vitamin sources and fat/water solubilitycommon3 practice Q
'Which vitamins are fat-soluble', 'which vitamin is made in the skin by sunlight', 'rich source of vitamin C', 'which vitamin is destroyed by cooking'.
- Fat-soluble = A, D, E, K (they store in the liver/fat); water-soluble = B-complex, C.
- Sunlight → vitamin D in the skin; cooking destroys vitamin C the most.
- Sources: A–carrot/papaya, C–amla/citrus, D–fish oil/sun, K–green leafy vegetables.
Example: Which set contains only fat-soluble vitamins?
A, D, E, K — remember the word KEDA/ADKE. B-complex and C wash out with water every day.
Type 3: Mineral → deficiency/rolecommon3 practice Q
'Goitre is due to deficiency of…', 'anaemia is caused by lack of…', 'which mineral builds bones and teeth', 'fluorosis is due to excess…'.
- Iron–anaemia (haemoglobin); iodine–goitre (thyroxine); calcium+phosphorus–bones/teeth; fluorine–caries (less) or fluorosis (more).
- Sodium/potassium–nerve signals; zinc–healing and immunity.
- Both 'too little' and 'too much' of fluorine harm — a favourite trick option.
Example: Anaemia (low haemoglobin) most commonly results from the deficiency of —
Iron — haemoglobin is an iron pigment, so iron-poor blood carries less oxygen (fatigue, pale skin).
Type 4: Malnutrition: kwashiorkor vs marasmuscommon2 practice Q
'Kwashiorkor is caused by deficiency of…', 'swollen belly disease of children', 'difference between kwashiorkor and marasmus', protein-calorie malnutrition questions.
- Kwashiorkor: protein deficient, calories adequate → oedema, swollen belly, thin limbs (age 1–3).
- Marasmus: protein AND calories deficient → skin-and-bones, no swelling (below 1 year).
- Memory line: kwashiorkor = swollen, marasmus = shrunken.
Example: A child with a swollen belly but relatively adequate calorie intake suffers from —
Kwashiorkor — protein deficiency; the swelling is oedema. Marasmus children are instead wasted and shrunken.
Type 5: Food energy values (computed)common2 practice Q
'How much energy does 1 g of fat/carbohydrate give', a snack's total calories from given grams, 'which nutrient gives maximum energy', BMR questions.
- Fixed values: carbohydrate 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g.
- Fat gives the most energy per gram — the standard 'maximum energy' answer.
- Compute totals part-wise: (fat g × 9) + (carb g × 4) + (protein g × 4); split multiplication into tens to stay fast.
Example: A snack has 20 g fat and 10 g carbohydrate. Its energy is about —
20 × 9 + 10 × 4 = 180 + 40 = 220 kcal — fat dominates because it carries 9 kcal/g.
Type 6: Vitamin history and misc factsoccasional2 practice Q
'Who coined the word vitamin', 'which vitamin is called ascorbic acid', chemical names of vitamins, 'deficiency of which vitamin affects gums'.
- Casimir Funk coined 'vitamine' (1912).
- Chemical names: A–retinol, B₁–thiamine, B₂–riboflavin, B₁₂–cyanocobalamin, C–ascorbic acid, D–calciferol, E–tocopherol, K–phylloquinone.
- Bleeding gums = scurvy = vitamin C (ascorbic acid) — the acid name is the giveaway.
Example: The word 'vitamine' was coined by —
Casimir Funk (1912). He thought all such factors were amines; the final 'e' was later dropped.
Shortcut tricks
⚡ Fat-soluble vitamins: 'KADE' (or 'ADEK')
A, D, E, K dissolve in fat and are stored in the body; B and C dissolve in water.
⚡ Deficiency pairs: 'A-Andha (night blind), B1-Beriberi, C-sCurvy, D-Deformed bones (rickets), K-Klotting'
Add B3 — Pellagra ('3 D's) and B12 — Pernicious anaemia (cobalt).
Example: Deficiency of which vitamin causes beriberi?
Vitamin B1 (thiamine).
Where students lose marks
Linking scurvy to vitamin D — scurvy is vitamin C; rickets is vitamin D.
Calling vitamin C fat-soluble — it is water-soluble and destroyed by cooking heat.
Mixing up kwashiorkor (protein only) and marasmus (protein + calories).
Practice sets — 21 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Each answer comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 3 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.