Vitamin Deficiencies
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A deficiency of which vitamin causes scurvy?
About Vitamin Deficiencies
Give your memory a workout with Vitamin Deficiencies: 15 multiple-choice questions with a mix of 8 medium, 4 easy, 3 hard questions, free to play right in your browser. Learn about vitamins and what happens when the body doesn't get enough! Expect to spend about 7 minutes; every question comes with an explanation, so you learn something even when you miss.
A few sample questions
1. A deficiency of which vitamin causes scurvy?
Answer: Vitamin C
Scurvy is caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). It was common among sailors who lacked fresh fruits and vegetables during long voyages.
2. Rickets, a condition that causes soft and weak bones in children, is caused by a lack of which vitamin?
Answer: Vitamin D
Rickets is caused by vitamin D deficiency, which impairs calcium absorption and leads to soft, weak bones. Sunlight exposure helps the body produce vitamin D.
3. Night blindness is an early symptom of deficiency in which vitamin?
Answer: Vitamin A
Vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness because vitamin A is essential for producing rhodopsin, a pigment in the retina needed for low-light vision.
4. Beriberi, a disease affecting the nervous system and heart, is caused by a lack of which vitamin?
Answer: Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
Beriberi is caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. It was historically common in regions where polished white rice was a dietary staple, as the milling process removes thiamine.
5. Which vitamin deficiency can cause pernicious anemia?
Answer: Vitamin B12
Pernicious anemia is caused by vitamin B12 deficiency, often due to the body's inability to absorb B12 from food. It results in fatigue, weakness, and neurological problems.
Things you'll learn along the way
- Pellagra is caused by a deficiency of niacin (vitamin B3). It was epidemic in the early 20th century in areas where corn was the primary dietary staple.
- Vitamin K is essential for synthesizing proteins needed for blood clotting. Its deficiency can lead to excessive bleeding and easy bruising.
- The British Navy issued lime juice rations to sailors to prevent scurvy, which is how British sailors earned the nickname 'limeys.'
Frequently asked questions
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Most players finish Vitamin Deficiencies in about 7 minutes. You can pause between questions, replay it as often as you like, and there is no penalty for taking your time — answers are explained after you submit them.
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