Vitamins and Vitamin Deficiency

Vitamins

• A vitamin is an organic molecule.
• It is an essential micronutrient.
• Organisms need them in small quantities.
• They are required for proper metabolic function.
• Vitamins are considered essential nutrients.
• They perform hundreds of roles in the body acting in concert.

Vitamin Deficiency

• Vitamin deficiency anemia can develop if your diet is lacking in certain vitamins.
• The body can't properly absorb nutrients from food if lacking in specific vitamins.
• Vitamin deficiency anemia is also known as megaloblastic anemia.
• Megaloblastic anemia is characterized by very large red blood cells.

Common signs of Vitamin Deficiency

• Brittle hair and nails are among the signs.

Brittle Hair and Nails

• A variety of factors may cause brittle hair and nails, including lack of biotin.
• Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, helps the body convert food into energy.
• Deficiency in biotin is rare, but when it occurs, brittle, thinning, or splitting hair and nails are some of the most noticeable symptoms.

Vitamin B7

• Vitamin B7 plays an important role in strengthening hair and nails.
• B7 deficiency is generally rare but may occur in certain cases.
• Foods that contain the most biotin include organ meats, eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts, and certain vegetables (such as sweet potatoes).

Mouth Ulcers

• Lesions in and around the mouth may partly be linked to an insufficient intake of certain vitamins or minerals.
• Mouth ulcers, commonly referred to as canker sores, are often the result of deficiencies of iron or B vitamins.
• Top sources of B vitamins include meat (especially liver), seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, legumes, leafy greens, seeds, and fortified foods, such as breakfast cereal.

Gums

• Rough tooth brushing technique is a cause for gums to bleed, but a diet lacking in vitamin C can also be to blame.
• Vitamin C plays important roles in wound healing and immunity.
• It also acts as an antioxidant, helping prevent cell damage.

Vitamin C

• Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect your cells against the effects of free radicals.
• Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food or is exposed to tobacco smoke and radiation from the sun, X-rays, or other sources.
• Free radicals might play a role in heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.
• Sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, kiwi, and guava.

Night Vision

• A nutrient-poor diet can sometimes cause vision problems.
• Low intakes of vitamin A are often linked to night blindness.
• Night blindness reduces people's ability to see in low light or darkness.

Vitamin A

• Vitamin A, also known as retinol, has several important functions.
• Those functions include helping the body's natural defense against illness and infection (the immune system).
• Vitamin A also helps vision in dim light.

Iron

• Iron is involved in the making of DNA, including the DNA present in hair follicles.
• Too little iron can cause hair to stop growing or fall out.
• Good sources of iron and zinc include meat, fish, eggs, legumes, and dark leafy greens.

Skin Problems

• Dermatitis and dandruff are part of the same group of skin disorders that affect the oil-producing areas of your body.
• Dandruff is mostly restricted to the scalp, while dermatitis can also appear on the face, upper chest, and armpits.

Hair Loss

• Hair loss is a very common symptom.
• Up to 50% of men and women report suffering from hair loss by the time they reach 50 years of age.

Restless Leg Syndrome

• Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a nerve condition that causes unpleasant or uncomfortable sensations in the legs.
• It is also associated with an irresistible urge to move them.

Summary

• A diet that provides too few vitamins and minerals can cause the appearance of several symptoms, some of which are more common than others.
• Often, increasing your intake of foods rich in the appropriate vitamins and minerals can help resolve or greatly reduce your symptoms.

Lab Equipment

• Graduated Cylinder is used to measure liquid volume.
• Three beam balances are used to find the MASS of an object.
• Beakers are used to mix or dissolve materials, but not for accurate measurement.
• A striker ignites the Bunsen burner.
• Petri dishes are used to grow and observe microorganisms.
• Test tubes are used to grow cultures in or to perform different experiments.
• Test tube racks hold test tubes during an experiment.
• Dissection materials include a ruler, eyedropper, scissors, forceps, scalpel, and dissection needle.
• Dissecting trays are used to place organisms that are being dissected.
• Slides are used to view a specimen under the microscope.
• A pipette is used to transfer liquid from one container to another.
• A cover slip is used to cover the specimen on the slide to keep it in the viewing area of the microscope.
• A test tube clamp is used to hold test tubes that are either hot, or that are being heated.
• Safety goggles must be worn every time in lab and are used to protect your eyes from chemicals.