Question

The organic compounds of high physiological importance which are essential in small amounts for the wellbeing of all human beings are
(A) Proteins
(B) Vitamins
(C) Mineral salts
(D) Enzymes

Answer 1

The organic compounds of high physiological importance which are essential in small amounts for the wellbeing of all human beings are vitamins. Vitamins are organic molecules which are essential micronutrients and are needed in small quantities for the proper functioning of metabolism.

Complete answer: The term vitamin comes from the Latin words Vita and amine which means life and nitrogen respectively. Vitamins cannot be synthesized in amounts sufficient to meet the bodily requirements and must be obtained from diet or from other synthetic sources. Due to this reason, vitamins are known as essential nutrients. They are different from other biological compounds because only small quantities of vitamins are sufficient to complete functions which are of catalytic nature or regulatory nature. Lack of vitamins in one's diet may cause deficiency diseases. Vitamins play a major role in the generation of energy as they use carbohydrates and fats in the form of a catalyst. The human body cannot produce most of the vitamins on its own. It can only produce vitamin ${\text{D}}$ and vitamin ${\text{B}}3$ . The major sources of vitamins are fruits, leafy vegetables and meat.

Note:
Vitamins can be classified into two main categories. The vitamins that can dissolve in oils and fats are known as fat soluble vitamins. Examples of fat soluble vitamins are vitamin ${\text{A,D,E and K}}$ . The vitamins that dissolve in water and can be absorbed quickly by the body are known as water soluble vitamins. Examples of water soluble vitamins are vitamin ${\text{B}}$ and vitamin ${\text{C}}$ .