vitamins

Question 1

vitamin A (retinol)

Answer 1

makes up retinal (visual pigments), essential for normal differentiation of epithelial cells into specialized tissue; treats measles and AML subtype M3

Question 2

Vitamin B1 (thiamine)

Answer 2

cofactor for many dehydrogenase enzyme reactions (alpha ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, transketolase, pyruvate dehydrogenase)

Question 3

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

Answer 3

in flavins FAD and FMN (cofactors in redox reactions)

Question 4

Vitamin B3 (niacin)

Answer 4

constituent of NAD+, NADP+ (redox reactions); derived from tryptophan (synthesis of B3 requires B2 and B6); tx dyslipidemia because it lowers VLDL and raises HDL

Question 5

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)

Answer 5

essential component of coenzyme A and fatty acid synthase

coenzyme A: synthesis of vit A, vit D, cholesterol, steroids, heme A, fatty acids, amino acids, proteins

Question 6

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

Answer 6

converted to pyridoxal phosphate (cofactor used in transamination, decarboxylation, glycogen phosphorylase); involved in synthesis of cystathionine, heme, niacin, histamine, neurotransmitters (serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, GABA)

Question 7

Vitamin B7 (biotin)

Answer 7

cofactor for carboxylation enzymes

Question 8

Vitamin B9 (folate)

Answer 8

converted to tetrahydrofolic acid (co-enzyme for 1-carbon transfer/methylation reactions); important for synthesis of nitrogenous bases in DNA and RNA

Question 9

vitamin B12 (cobalamin)

Answer 9

cofactor for homocysteine methyltransferase (transfers CH3 groups as methylcobalamin) and methylmalonyl-CoA mutase

Question 10

Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)

Answer 10

antioxidant; facilitates iron absorption by reducing it to Fe2+; hydroxylates proline and lysinine in collagen synthesis; necessary for dopamine beta-hydroxylase (converts dopa to NE)

Question 11

vitamin D

Answer 11

increase intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate, increases bone mineralization

Question 12

vitamin E

Answer 12

antioxidant; protects RBCs and membranes from free radical damage

Question 13

vitamin K

Answer 13

cofactor for gamma-carboxylation of glutamic acid residues on various proteins required for blood clotting; synthesized by intestinal flora

Question 14

zinc

Answer 14

mineral essential for the activity of 100+ enzmes; important in the formation of zinc fingers