vitamin

vi*ta*min

noun

{bc}any of various organic substances that are essential in minute quantities to the nutrition of most animals and some plants, act especially as coenzymes and precursors of coenzymes in the regulation of metabolic processes but do not provide energy or serve as building units, and are present in natural foodstuffs or sometimes produced within the body

vitamin A

noun

{bc}any of several fat-soluble vitamins (such as {d_link|retinol|retinol}) that are found especially in green or orange vegetables (such as carrots or spinach) and in animal products (such as egg yolk, butter, or liver) and whose deficiency in the animal body causes epithelial tissues to become keratinous (as in the eye with resulting visual defects)

vitamin B

noun

{bc}{sx|vitamin b complex||}

vitamin B complex

noun

{bc}a group of water-soluble vitamins that are found especially in yeast, seed germs, eggs, liver and flesh, and vegetables and that have varied metabolic functions and include coenzymes and growth factors

vitamin B{inf}6{/inf}

noun

{bc}pyridoxine or a closely related compound found widely in combined form and considered essential to vertebrate nutrition

vitamin B{inf}12{/inf}

noun

{bc}a complex cobalt-containing compound C{inf}63{/inf}H{inf}88{/inf}CoN{inf}14{/inf}O{inf}14{/inf}P that occurs especially in liver, is essential to normal blood formation, neural function, and growth, and is used especially in treating pernicious and related anemias and in animal feed as a growth factor

vitamin B{inf}2{/inf}

noun

{bc}{sx|riboflavin||}

vitamin C

noun

{bc}a water-soluble vitamin C{inf}6{/inf}H{inf}8{/inf}O{inf}6{/inf} found in plants and especially in fruits and leafy vegetables or made synthetically and used in the prevention and treatment of scurvy and as an antioxidant for foods

vitamin D

noun

vitamin E

noun

{bc}any of several fat-soluble vitamins that are chemically {d_link|tocopherols|tocopherol} whose lack in the human body is associated especially with neurological symptoms (as ataxia and muscle weakness), that are found especially in wheat germ, vegetable oils, egg yolk, and green leafy vegetables or are made synthetically, and that are used chiefly in animal feeds and as antioxidants