FDSC 200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Calcium Chloride, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6

• School: McGill University
• Department: Food Science
• Course: FDSC 200
• Professor: Lawrence Goodridge

Document Summary

Vitamins: vitamins are organic compounds (have a carbon backbone of at least 2 carbons) needed in small amounts in the diet to help regulate body processes, main role: work as components in enzymes systems to maintain health. They are not a source of energy: enzyme reactions are slowed or stopped and body processes impaired if vitamins are missing. Many vitamins can act as co-enzymes in order for enzymes to interact with the substrates. If they are missing, the enzyme cannot interact with the substrate and no reaction is occurring: scientists gave vitamins names, letters, or numbers to identify them. Any excess of fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver or in fatty tissues for future use the body can use these excess stores of vitamins and survive off of them for weeks. Fat-soluble vitamins: vitamin a, the first vitamin to be identified, functions, aids in night vision.