Micronutrients Flashcards
Nutrients required in smaller quantities, including vitamins and minerals.
micronutrients
Compounds or molecules that help enzymes work.
coenzymes and cofactors
Chemical processes that occur in the body that help sustain life.
metabolic reactions
Organelles (small structures inside cells) where the majority of energy production, specifically aerobic metabolism, occurs – “the powerhouse of the cell.”
mitochondria
A chemical process where most of the ATP in the body is produced – the basic principle behind this is that an electron gradient produces ATP.
electron transport chain
Also known as the Citric Acid cycle, a sequence of biochemical reactions through which most living organisms produce energy using aerobic metabolism (i.e., in the presence of oxygen).
Krebs cycle
Which vitamins are required for the Krebs cycle to function?
Vitamins B1 and B2
Where are water-soluble vitamins stored?
They are found in the blood and other water-based fluids.
Name the nine water-soluble vitamins.
Vitamin C Thiamine (Vitamin B1) Niacin (Vitamin B3) Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) Vitamin B6 Biotin Vitamin B12 Folic Acid
Water soluble vitamin that is critical in the catabolism of sugars and amino acids as well as central nervous system function.
Vitamin B1/Thiamine
A condition of thiamine deficiency that affects either the cardiovascular system, the nervous system, or both.
Symptoms include weight loss, emotional disturbances, impaired sensory perception, weakness and pain in the limbs, and periods of irregular heart rate. Edema (swelling of bodily tissues) is common.
Beriberi
A disease of the brain that is the direct result of thiamine deficiency – It causes confusion and makes people uncoordinated.
Wernicke encephalopathy
Vitamin that is critical in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fat, and required for cellular respiration, which helps create energy.
Riboflavin/Vitamin B2
A redox-active coenzyme that is critical in regulating oxidation-reduction reactions, which are responsible for managing the oxidative balance in the body.
Flavin Adenine Dinucleotide (FAD)
A series of chemical reactions in the body that help balance out molecular damage due to increase levels of oxidative stress, also responsible for maintaining enough oxidants for the body to function properly.
antioxidant system
The process and reaction between two substances in which one substance is oxidized and the other reduced.
Redox system
What do deficiencies in Vitamin B2/riboflavin lead to?
Deficiencies in vitamin B2 result in dry skin, sore throats, and inflammation
Vitamin that shares many similarities with vitamin B2 in that it is critical in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fat. It is a precursor to the coenzyme NAD, which is critical for the catabolism of fat, carbs, and protein.
Niacin/Vitamin B3
A cofactor that plays several essential roles in metabolism, including as a coenzyme in redox reactions (carrying hydrogen ions to produce ATP).
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD)
A cofactor that plays a critical role in the Kreb’s cycle and electron transport chain and is responsible for much of the ATP production in our cells.
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD)
A water-soluble vitamin that is required to synthesize coenzyme A (CoA).
Pantothenic Acid/Vitamin B5
A coenzyme that is notable for its role in the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids and the oxidation of pyruvate in the citric acid cycle. It serves serves as a molecular link between glycolysis and the Kreb’s cycle, which means that it is involved in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fatty acids.
CoA (co-enzyme A)
The first step of carbohydrate metabolism, an anaerobic pathway, that breaks glucose or glycogen down to pyruvate.
glycolysis
Represents a class of several related, but different molecules, each of which are important for optimal health.
B Vitamins
What are the three molecular compounds of Vitamin B6?
pyridoxal
pyridoxine
pyridoxamine
This vitamin is involved in the breakdown of glycogen into glucose and the production of glucose and neurotransmitters.
Vitamin B6
Vitamin that is a cofactor in many carboxylase enzymes, which are responsible for transferring carbon dioxide molecules and the metabolism of carbohydrates, fatty acids, cholesterol, and amino acids.
Biotin (Vitamin B7)
Biotin deficiencies can lead to…?
hair loss, dermatitis, issues with nails
The largest of the B-complex vitamins, comes in many forms, and contains a heavy metal/mineral in its molecular structure, specifically cobalt.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin involved in many different metabolic processes, including DNA synthesis, red blood cell production, and in maintaining proper neurological function
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to…?
anemia and neurological disorders
Vitamin that helps regulate single-carbon transfers, both accepting and donating single carbons to chemical reactions.
Folate/Vitamin B9
Deficiencies in folate can lead to…?
anemia
Folate helps regulate single-carbon reactions, which are critical because they____
help produce red and white blood cells as well as DNA when cells make copies of themselves
AKA ascorbic acid
Vitamin C
Evidence indicates that adequate amounts of which vitamin is important for maintaining your antioxidant system and minimizing disease risk?
Vitamin C
An essential nutrient, a source of methyl groups needed for many steps in metabolism; aids in providing structure for cell membranes and as a critical molecule for the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine
Choline
Deficiency of choline leads to…?
organ dysfunction, primarily fatty liver and damage to muscle tissue
Chemical messenger that is released in muscle cells to activate muscle contraction. It is essential for all movement.
acetylcholine
Something that improves either physical or mental performance.
ergogenic aid
What happens when individuals take more water-soluble vitamins than the body needs for at any given time?
the body excretes it through urine
Vitamin that is critical in the metabolism of sugar and amino acids as well as central nervous system function
Vitamin B1 / Thiamine
A group of compounds referred to as retinoids. The most common retinoids are retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid
Vitamin A
Vitamin critical in vision, immune function, and for human development.
Vitamin A
Often referred to as vitamin A1. It is converted into retinal in the human body.
Retinol
One of the other main forms of vitamin A and is converted into retinoic acid in the human body. It is important as it converts light into signals that the brain turns into vision.
Retinal
Directly affects expression of genes. It is often used as a treatment of some skin conditions, such as acne, as it can control protein production that contributes to acne.
Retinoic acid
A fat-soluble vitamin present in very few foods – much of what is found in our bodies comes from the conversion of cholesterol from direct exposure to sunlight. This makes it unique among the fat-soluble vitamins in that dietary sources are often not sufficient to maintain adequate levels. Sunlight and/or supplementation is necessary.
Vitamin D