Term | Definition |
Nutrition | The absorption of nutrients from food. |
Vitamins | Organic compounds required in very small quantities but that play an essential role in specific metabolic pathways. |
Fat-soluble vitamins | Vitamins A, D3, K, and E. These vitamins are absorbed primarily from the digestive tract. Vegetables are potential sources of fat-soluble vitamins. |
Avitaminosis | Vitamin deficiency disease. Rarely results in the dietary insufficiency of fat-soluble vitamins. |
Hypervitaminosis | Having too much of a vitamin causes this. Occurs when dietary intake exceeds the body's ability to store, utilize, or excrete a particular vitamin. Most commonly involves one of the fat soluble vitamins. |
Water-soluble vitamins | B vitamins and vitamin C. Most are components of coenzymes. B vitamins are found in meat, eggs, and dairy products, and vitamin C is found in citrus fruits. |
Intrinsic factor | A glycoprotein, secreted by the parietal of the stomach, that facilitates the intestinal absorption of vitamin B12. |
Identify the two classes of vitamins. | Fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins. |
If vitamins do not provide a source of energy, what is their role in nutrition? | Vitamins play an important role in metabolic pathways by serving as coenzymes. |
B1 | Thiamine |
B2 | Riboflavin |
B3 | Niacin |
B5 | Pantothenic acid |
B6 | Pyridoxine |
B9 | Folic acid |
B12 | Cobalamin |
B7 | Biotin |
C | Ascorbic acid |