Which disease is caused by the deficiency of Vitamin 'A'?
Night Blindness
Understanding Vitamin A Deficiency and Night Blindness
Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that plays a vital role in vision, immune function, reproduction, and cellular growth. Our body needs a sufficient amount of Vitamin A to function correctly. When there isn't enough Vitamin A in the body, it leads to a condition known as Vitamin A deficiency. This deficiency can cause various health problems, particularly affecting the eyes.
Let's look at the options provided and understand which vitamin deficiency causes which disease:
| Disease | Caused by Deficiency of | Associated Vitamin Deficiency Disease Type |
|---|---|---|
| Beri-Beri | Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | Vitamin deficiency disease, Nutritional deficiency |
| Scurvy | Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) | Vitamin deficiency disease, Nutritional deficiency |
| Night Blindness (Nyctalopia) | Vitamin A (Retinol) | Vitamin deficiency disease, Nutritional deficiency |
| Rickets | Vitamin D | Vitamin deficiency disease, Nutritional deficiency |
Connecting Vitamin A Deficiency to Night Blindness
As shown in the table, Night Blindness is directly caused by a lack of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is crucial for producing rhodopsin, a pigment in the retina that helps us see in low light conditions. When there is insufficient Vitamin A, the production of rhodopsin is impaired, leading to difficulty seeing in dim light or at night. This is the classic symptom of early Vitamin A deficiency, commonly known as Night Blindness.
Exploring Other Vitamin Deficiencies
- Beri-Beri: This disease results from Vitamin B1 deficiency (Thiamine). It affects the nervous system and cardiovascular system.
- Scurvy: Caused by Vitamin C deficiency, Scurvy leads to weakness, anemia, gum disease, and skin problems.
- Rickets: This condition, often seen in children, is due to Vitamin D deficiency. It causes softening and weakening of bones, leading to deformities. Adults can experience osteomalacia due to Vitamin D deficiency.
Understanding these links helps us identify the specific nutritional deficiency causing a particular disease. In this case, the disease caused by the deficiency of Vitamin 'A' is clearly Night Blindness. Ensuring adequate intake of Vitamin A through diet or supplements is essential to prevent Vitamin A deficiency and related vision problems like Night Blindness.
Important Questions from Biomolecules
The chemical name of Vitamin D 3is:
Which of the following food comes under complex carbohydrate?
I. Potatoes
II. Sweets
III. Pasta
IV. Wheat
Following are the pKa's of the ionizable groups in lysine
pKa 1 = 2.16 (α - carboxylic group)
pKa 2 = 9.06 (α - amino group)
pKa 3 = 10.54 (ε - amino group)
Which one of the following options represents the pl of lysine?
How many hydrogen bonds involving the backbone CO and NH can be observed in an α‐helix consisting of 15 amino acid residues?
In eukaryotic cells, covalently attached lipids help to anchor some water soluble proteins to the plasma membrane. One group of cytosolic proteins are anchored to the cytosolic face of membrane by a fatty acyl group (e.g. myristate or palmitate). These groups are generally covalently attached to which amino acids present at the N‐terminus of the polypeptide chain?
