vitamins

A vitamin is a compound that can not be synthesized by a given organism but is nonetheless vital to its survival or health. These compounds must be absorbed, or eaten, but typically only in trace quantities.

When originally proposed by Casimir Funk, a Polish biochemist, he believed them to all be basic and therefore named them vital amines. The "l" was later dropped to form the word vitamines.

Members (Examples)

 vitamin A
 vitamin B1
 vitamin B12
 vitamin C
 vitamin D3
 vitamin E
 vitamin K

 Molecules

Pathology

 vitamin deficiencies

See also

 lipid vitamins