Question

Which of the following statements about vitamins are correct?
1. Vitamin C is essential to make connective tissue in the body.
2. Vitamin D is needed for the synthesis of eye pigment.
3. Vitamin B12 helps in the maturation of RBC.
4. Vitamin C is required to make use of calcium absorbed from the intestine.
select the correct answer using the aide given below.
A. 1 and 2
B. 1 and 3
C. 2 and 4
D. 1 and 4

Answer 1

Hint: Vitamins are said to be necessary food substances that are needed for the proper functioning of the body. They help in regulating the metabolic processes which act as the constituents of coenzymes in the cell. There are different kinds of vitamins that act differently on the body.

Complete answer:
Vitamins are a group of complex organic compounds found in minute quantities in natural foodstuff and are essential for normal metabolic activities, health and growth in man and animals. Most of the vitamins are obtained from the diet because these cannot be synthesized in the body. A sufficiently varied and balanced diet will provide all vitamins in the proper amount. Some vitamins may be stored in the body, chiefly the liver. Others must be supplied constantly because they are excreted in the urine if present in excess amounts in the diet.

Let us study the options given above:
A) Vitamin C- It is also called ascorbic acid which one can get from citrus fruit, tomatoes, peppers, leafy green vegetables etc. Collagen is mainly found in the connective tissue of our body such as collagen and this is mainly produced by vitamin C. Collagen interacts with amino acids within the collagen cells.

B) Vitamin D- It is also called calciferol that one can get from fish liver oil, egg yolk, liver. It is formed in the skin from a cholesterol derivation by the action of ultraviolet rays of the sun. It facilitates absorption of calcium and phosphorus by the intestine and their retention in the body and their utilization for bone and teeth formation. It is required for the use of calcium that is being absorbed by the intestine.

C) Vitamin B12- It is called cyanocobalamin which one can get from the liver, eggs, milk, fish etc. They are needed for the formation of erythrocytes and coenzymes for RNA nucleoprotein synthesis and for the formation of myelin formations. Deficiency of them may cause the malformation of RBCs and pernicious anaemia.

D) Vitamin C- We all know that it is also called ascorbic acid. It plays a major role in the hydroxylation of proline and lysine during collagen formation, maintains the integrity of capillary walls, maintains the growth of bones and teeth and also takes part in cellular oxidation and reduction. Deficiency of them may cause scurvy which is characterised by bleeding gum, and the wound fails to heal with decreased resistance to the common cold.

Thus Option 1 and 3 are correct whereas 2 and 4 are incorrect. So, the correct answer is option B.

Note: Practically all the vitamins are available in concentrated synthetic form. These preparations are very useful in supplementing the natural vitamins of the diet when a deficiency occurs. However, a normal balanced diet is much more valuable than supplementary doses of vitamins. They were discovered by Dr Casimir Funk who is a Polish biochemist in the year 1911.