Question

Vitamin K cannot be produced by humans. What is true about the presence of vitamin K in bloodstream even though a person's diet is lacking in vitamin K?

• A. Vitamin K is synthesized in the liver using hormones absorbed from ingested plant cells.
• B. Vitamin K is a byproduct of protein degradation during digestion.
• C. Vitamin K is synthesized by bacteria that inhabit the colon.
• D. Vitamin K can be produced by exposure to sunlight.
• E. None of the above.

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Vitamin K is synthesized by bacteria that inhabit the colon.

Vitamin K is an essential vitamin needed for the synthesis of blood-clotting factors. It cannot be synthesized by the human body. It occurs in two forms, Vitamin K1 and Vitamin K2. Vitamin K1 is primarily obtained from the green leafy vegetables. Vitamin K2 can be synthesized by the bacteria that inhabit the colon of the large intestine.

Hence, the correct answer is 'Vitamin K is synthesized by bacteria that inhabit the colon'