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Questions and Answers
What is a primary role of vitamin C in the body?
What deficiency condition is associated with a lack of vitamin C?
What effect does heating or canning food have on vitamin C?
Which of the following foods is a rich source of vitamin D?
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What is a consequence of vitamin D deficiency in children?
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Why is it essential to expose children to sunlight?
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In what state is vitamin D found in the body, allowing for storage?
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What physiological role does water serve in the body?
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What is a deficiency associated with a lack of dietary fiber?
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What happens to DCPIP when it comes into contact with vitamin C?
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What is one of the symptoms of vitamin C deficiency?
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Which vitamin is primarily responsible for aiding in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus?
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Which condition is caused by a deficiency in vitamin D?
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How does exposure to air affect vitamin C in food?
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Why are sailors particularly susceptible to scurvy?
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Which of the following statements about vitamin C is true?
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What is the main consequence of vitamin C's water-soluble property?
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What is the role of water in metabolic reactions?
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Which food item is a source of vitamin D?
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What is a consequence of fiber deficiency in the diet?
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Study Notes
Vitamin C
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Functions:
- Helps in the formation of collagen, a vital protein found in skin, bones, and blood vessels.
- Strengthens blood vessels.
- Maintains healthy teeth and gums.
- Protects cells from aging by keeping skin healthy.
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Sources: Citrus fruits, tomatoes, and vegetables.
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Deficiency: Scurvy
- Symptoms: Pain in joints and muscles, bleeding gums, skin ulcers, and poor wound healing.
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Properties:
- Water-soluble, meaning it cannot be stored in the body.
- Easily destroyed by heat, canning, and exposure to air.
- Refrigeration helps preserve vitamin C content to a certain extent.
Testing for Vitamin C (DCPIP)
- Vitamin C is not a carbohydrate, fat, or protein.
- It can be detected using a blue solution called DCPIP.
- DCPIP loses its color when mixed with vitamin C.
- This test works because Vitamin C reacts with DCPIP, causing it to change from blue to colorless.
Vitamin D
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Sources: Butter, egg yolk, fish liver oil, and sunlight.
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Functions:
- Helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus.
- These minerals are essential for building strong bones and teeth.
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Deficiency:
- Rickets: (in children) Soft, bent, and deformed bones.
- Osteomalacia: (in adults) Fragile bones.
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Properties:
- Fat-soluble, allowing it to be stored in the body (liver).
Importance of Water
- Major component of cytoplasm.
- Essential for metabolic reactions.
- Transports digested food.
- Dissolves gases for exchange.
- Transports excretory products.
- Secretes sweat to regulate body temperature.
- Dissolves enzymes and hormones.
Fiber
- Source: Cereals, grains, bread, and vegetables.
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Functions:
- Stimulates peristalsis in the intestine, helping to move food through the gut.
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Deficiency:
- Constipation and colon cancer, as less fiber leads to reduced peristalsis.
Iron
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Sources: Red meat, spinach, and liver.
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Functions:
- Essential for the formation of hemoglobin in red blood cells.
- Hemoglobin is responsible for carrying oxygen to all body cells, vital for respiration.
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Deficiency: Anemia
- Symptoms: Rapid tiredness, shortness of breath (due to a lack of oxygen carrying hemoglobin), pale skin.
Calcium
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Sources: Milk, dairy products, and bread.
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Functions:
- Forms strong bones and teeth.
- Necessary for blood clotting.
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Deficiency:
- Weak bones and teeth.
- Poor blood clotting.
- Uncontrolled muscle contractions (spasms).
- Rickets (in children) and osteomalacia (in adults).
Vitamin C
- Vitamin C helps the formation of collagen, a protein found in skin, bones and blood vessels.
- Vitamin C strengthens blood vessels, keeps teeth and gums healthy and protects cells from aging by maintaining healthy skin.
- Good sources of Vitamin C include citrus fruits, tomatoes, and vegetables.
- Deficiency in Vitamin C can cause scurvy, characterized by pain in joints and muscles, bleeding gums, skin ulcers and poor wound healing.
- Vitamin C is water soluble and cannot be stored within the body.
- Exposure to heat, canning, grating, and mincing can destroy Vitamin C in food.
- Refrigeration helps preserve vitamin C in food, but only to a certain extent.
Testing for Vitamin C
- Vitamin C is not a carbohydrate, fat or protein.
- DCPIP (a blue solution) is used to test for Vitamin C.
- DCPIP loses its blue color when mixed with vitamin C.
- Lemon juice, rich in vitamin C, can be used to demonstrate the change in DCPIP from blue to colorless.
Vitamin D
- Vitamin D helps the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which are necessary for bone and teeth formation.
- Sources of Vitamin D include butter, egg yolk, fish liver oil, and sunlight.
- Vitamin D deficiency in children can lead to rickets, characterized by soft, bent, and deformed bones.
- Vitamin D deficiency in adults may cause osteomalacia, also known as fragile bones.
- Vitamin D is fat soluble and can be stored in the body, specifically in the liver.
- Sunlight exposure is important for vitamin D synthesis in the body.
- Sailors are prone to scurvy because they often consume stored or canned food which lacks Vitamin C.
Importance of Water
- Water is a major component of the cytoplasm.
- It facilitates metabolic reactions, transports digested food, dissolves gases for exchange, carries excretory products, regulates body temperature through sweat secretion, and dissolves enzymes and hormones.
Fibers
- Dietary fibers are found in cereals, grains, bread, and vegetables.
- Fibers stimulate peristalsis, the muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract.
- Fiber deficiency can lead to constipation and colon cancer due to reduced peristalsis.
Iron
- Iron is found in red meat, spinach, and liver.
- It plays a crucial role in the formation of hemoglobin within red blood cells.
- Hemoglobin carries oxygen, essential for respiration, to all body cells.
- Iron deficiency causes anemia, characterized by rapid tiredness and shortness of breath due to lack of oxygen transport.
- Other symptoms of iron deficiency include pale skin and fatigue.
Calcium
- Calcium is found in milk, dairy products, and bread.
- It is crucial for bones and teeth, blood clotting, and muscle contractions.
- Calcium deficiency can lead to weak bones and teeth, poor blood clotting, uncontrollable muscle contractions, rickets (in children), and osteomalacia (in adults).
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Description
Test your knowledge about the functions, sources, and deficiencies of Vitamin C and D. This quiz also covers the DCPIP method for detecting Vitamin C and its properties. Challenge yourself to see how well you understand these important vitamins!
