Question

Identify from the following a fat-soluble vitamin and its related deficiency disease.

• A. Ascorbic acid - Scurvy
• B. Retinol - Xerophthalmia
• C. Cobalamine - Beri-beri
• D. Calciferol – Pellagra

Answer 1

The correct option is B Retinol - Xerophthalmia

The vitamins are natural and essential nutrients, required in small quantities and play a major role in growth and development, repair and healing wounds, maintaining healthy bones and tissues, for the proper functioning of an immune system, and other biological functions.

Based on the solubility, they can been classified into two different groups:

• Fat-soluble vitamins - vitamin A, D, E and K
• Water-soluble vitamins - vitamin B and C

Retinol (vitamin A) and calciferol (vitamin D) are fat soluble vitamins, their deficiency causes xerophthalmia (dryness and thickening of the cornea) and rickets respectively.

While scurvy is caused by deficiency of vitamin C, beri-beri is caused by deficiency of vitamin B${}_1$ and pellagra is caused due to deficiency of niacin.