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Related Concept Videos

Vitamins01:30

Vitamins

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Vitamins, derived from the Latin word for life, are essential organic substances required in small quantities for optimal growth and overall well-being. Unlike other organic nutrients, vitamins don't act as sources of energy or building materials but rather facilitate these nutrients' utilization by the body. Vitamins are predominantly coenzymes, assisting enzymes in specific chemical actions, like the oxidation of glucose for energy involving B vitamins. Most vitamins are not produced...
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Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants01:18

Anticoagulant Drugs: Vitamin K Antagonists and Direct Oral Anticoagulants

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Oral anticoagulants are vital tools in preventing and treating blood clotting disorders. This diverse class of medications can be categorized as vitamin K antagonists, exemplified by warfarin, and direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs), such as dabigatran, as well as factor Xa inhibitors, including rivaroxaban.
Warfarin, a prominent vitamin K antagonist family member, exerts its effect by inhibiting the enzyme VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1). By hindering this enzyme, warfarin...
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Contemporary Psychology01:29

Contemporary Psychology

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Psychology explores human behavior and mental processes through various lenses, each offering unique insights. This overview examines key subfields, including biopsychology, evolutionary, developmental, personality, and social psychology, highlighting their approaches and contributions to understanding complex human behaviors.
Biopsychology
Biopsychology, also known as biological psychology or behavioral neuroscience, focuses on the biological underpinnings of behavior and mental processes. It...
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Role of Vitamins in Maintaining Bone Health01:25

Role of Vitamins in Maintaining Bone Health

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The growth and maintenance of bone are regulated by a combination of nutritional factors, including vitamins, such as vitamin A, B12, C, D, and K.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is involved in the process of bone remodeling. Retinoic acid, the active metabolite of Vitamin A, has nuclear receptors in osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which are involved in bone remodeling.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 acts as a cofactor during the formation of osteoblast-related proteins, such as osteocalcin. Vitamin B12 plays a role...
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Role of Skin in Vitamin D Synthesis01:23

Role of Skin in Vitamin D Synthesis

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The skin plays a crucial role in the synthesis of vitamin D, a vital nutrient for various physiological processes in the body. Vitamin D is unique because it can be synthesized in the skin through a series of chemical reactions triggered by exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight.
The solar UV B rays (290-315 nm) are absorbed by the skin, and 7-dehydrocholesterol (provitamin D3) photolyzes it to previtamin D3, which undergoes a rapid transformation to vitamin...
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Mineral, Vitamin and Water Absorption01:27

Mineral, Vitamin and Water Absorption

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Electrolytes are essential minerals and ions primarily obtained from the diet and absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. Most electrolytes are absorbed in the small intestine. While the absorption of iron and calcium primarily occurs in the duodenum, calcium is also absorbed in the jejunum and ileum. In these regions, passive diffusion contributes to its absorption alongside active transport mechanisms in the duodenum. These ions can exit the enterocytes through specialized active...
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Related Experiment Video

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A Rapid and Specific Microplate Assay for the Determination of Intra- and Extracellular Ascorbate in Cultured Cells
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A Rapid and Specific Microplate Assay for the Determination of Intra- and Extracellular Ascorbate in Cultured Cells

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What Is a Vitamin? Towards a Contemporary Definition.

Andreas Hahn1,2, Manfred Eggersdorfer2,3, Felix Kerlikowsky1,2

  • 1Institute of Food and One Health, Leibniz University Hannover, 30167 Hannover, Germany.

Nutrients
|December 31, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Vitamins are essential nutrients supporting long-term health beyond preventing deficiency diseases. This study proposes a new definition for vitamins, considering conditional essentiality and variable dietary needs.

Keywords:
conditional essentialitycontemporary definitionvitamins

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Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Science
  • Biochemistry
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Vitamins have evolved from deficiency preventatives to crucial long-term health nutrients.
  • Current definitions lack clarity in distinguishing vitamins from other bioactive compounds.
  • Nutritional requirements for vitamins are complex and not fully captured by existing definitions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the historical evolution of vitamin definitions.
  • To identify limitations in current vitamin definitions.
  • To propose a contemporary, physiologically informed definition of vitamins.

Main Methods:

  • Historical review of vitamin definitions.
  • Analysis of current scientific literature on vitamins.
  • Development of a new definition based on physiological understanding.

Main Results:

  • Existing definitions are insufficient and do not encompass the full role of vitamins.
  • A new definition is proposed that moves beyond classical deficiency prevention.
  • The proposed definition incorporates conditional essentiality.

Conclusions:

  • A contemporary definition of vitamins is needed to reflect their complex roles.
  • The concept of conditional essentiality helps distinguish vitamins from other bioactive substances.
  • Variable dietary requirements under different conditions are key to understanding vitamin needs.