Vitamins and Deficiency Diseases: Complete Revision Table for NEET

Vitamins and deficiency diseases is the single most repeated biology topic in SSC, Railways, NEET and UPSC exams — examiners recycle the same twenty facts every year. This page fixes the entire topic permanently: one master table, fat-soluble and water-soluble breakdowns, chemical names, mnemonics, food sources and 12 solved PYQs. Read the master table first, then the mnemonics, then attempt the drill.

Quick Answer: Vitamins and Deficiency Diseases at a Glance

Start here. This master table answers 80% of all questions ever asked on this topic. Read it once tonight and once before your exam.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins (A, D, E, K): Complete Table

Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and adipose tissue — remember the mnemonic “KEDA” or “ADEK”. Because they accumulate, excess intake causes hypervitaminosis, a genuine NEET-level point.

Water-Soluble Vitamins (B-Complex and C): Complete Table

Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored (except B12 in the liver) and are excreted in urine — so daily intake is essential. This is the most examined pair distinction in exam biology.

• B1 (Thiamine) — carbohydrate metabolism; deficiency causes beriberi (dry and wet) and Wernicke’s encephalopathy in alcoholics.
• B2 (Riboflavin) — FAD coenzyme; deficiency causes cheilosis (cracked lips) and angular stomatitis.
• B3 (Niacin) — NAD/NADP coenzyme; deficiency causes pellagra — the famous 4 Ds: dermatitis, diarrhoea, dementia, death.
• B5 (Pantothenic acid) — part of coenzyme A; deficiency causes burning foot syndrome.
• B6 (Pyridoxine) — amino acid metabolism; deficiency causes convulsions and peripheral neuritis.
• B7 (Biotin) — fat and protein metabolism; deficiency causes hair fall and dermatitis (raw egg white excess blocks biotin).
• B9 (Folic acid) — DNA synthesis, RBC formation; deficiency causes megaloblastic anaemia; critical in pregnancy (neural tube defects).
• B12 (Cyanocobalamin) — RBC maturation; deficiency causes pernicious anaemia; found only in animal foods.
• C (Ascorbic acid) — collagen synthesis, iron absorption, antioxidant; deficiency causes scurvy — bleeding gums, delayed wound healing.

Vitamin Deficiency Diseases Mnemonics for Rapid Recall

Memorise these five keyword chains tonight; they cover 90% of MCQ traps:

• “A for Eye, D for Bones, K for Clotting, C for Gums, B1 for Nerves” — the master chain.
• Pellagra 4 Ds: Dermatitis, Diarrhoea, Dementia, Death.
• “ADEK are fat” — A, D, E, K are fat-soluble; everything else dissolves in water.
• “B12 needs an intrinsic factor from the stomach” — absence causes pernicious anaemia (a repeated NEET trap).
• “Sunshine vitamin = D” — the only vitamin synthesised in the skin.

Chemical Names of Vitamins (Commonly Asked in SSC & Railways)

SSC and Railways ask chemical names almost every cycle. Drill this table until recall is instant:

Rich Food Sources of Each Vitamin

One-liner MCQs love source-matching. Learn these:

• Vitamin A: carrot, papaya, green leafy vegetables, liver, fish liver oil, milk. (Precursor: beta-carotene.)
• Vitamin D: sunlight (UV-B on skin), fatty fish, egg yolk, fortified milk.
• Vitamin E: wheat germ oil, sunflower oil, nuts, whole grains.
• Vitamin K: green leafy vegetables (spinach, cabbage), also synthesised by gut bacteria.
• Vitamin C: amla (richest source), citrus fruits, guava, tomatoes.
• B vitamins: whole grains, yeast, eggs, meat, legumes, milk.
• B12 only from animal sources: meat, fish, eggs, dairy — strict vegetarians are at risk.

Key Functions of Vitamins in the Human Body

One line each — exactly how examiners frame “match the function” questions:

• A — forms rhodopsin (visual purple) for low-light vision.
• D — promotes calcium and phosphorus absorption from the intestine.
• E — antioxidant; protects cell membranes from free radicals.
• K — essential for synthesis of prothrombin and clotting factors.
• B-complex — act as coenzymes in energy metabolism.
• C — collagen synthesis, wound healing, iron absorption, immunity.

Fat-Soluble vs Water-Soluble Vitamins: Key Differences

Previous Year Questions (PYQs) on Vitamins and Deficiency Diseases

Attempt these twelve without looking up. All follow actual SSC, Railways, NEET and UPSC patterns.

1. Deficiency of vitamin C causes — (a) Rickets (b) Scurvy (c) Beriberi (d) Pellagra. Ans: (b) Scurvy.
2. Which vitamin is synthesised in the skin by sunlight? (a) A (b) C (c) D (d) K. Ans: (c) Vitamin D.
3. Chemical name of vitamin B12 — Ans: Cyanocobalamin.
4. Night blindness is caused by deficiency of — Ans: Vitamin A.
5. Beriberi is caused by deficiency of — (a) B1 (b) B3 (c) B6 (d) B12. Ans: (a) Thiamine (B1).
6. The 4 Ds — dermatitis, diarrhoea, dementia and death — describe — Ans: Pellagra (Niacin/B3 deficiency).
7. Pernicious anaemia is due to deficiency of — Ans: Vitamin B12.
8. Which vitamin helps in blood clotting? Ans: Vitamin K (phylloquinone).
9. Richest source of vitamin C among fruits — Ans: Amla (Indian gooseberry).
10. Rickets is a disease of — (a) adults (b) children (c) both equally (d) elderly. Ans: (b) Children (osteomalacia is the adult form).
11. Which vitamin deficiency causes delayed wound healing and bleeding gums? Ans: Vitamin C.
12. Vitamin E is chemically known as — Ans: Tocopherol.

Vitamins and Deficiency Diseases PDF Revision Notes

Want the master table as a single printable page for the exam-eve corridor? Hmmnm.in’s one-page vitamins revision PDF compresses everything above — master table, chemical names, mnemonics and the fat-soluble vs water-soluble comparison — into one downloadable sheet. Print it, fold it, read it twice the night before your shift.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Which vitamin deficiency causes scurvy?

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) deficiency causes scurvy; symptoms include bleeding gums and delayed wound healing.

Q: What are the four fat-soluble vitamins?

Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble; they are stored in the liver and fatty tissues.

Q: Which vitamin is synthesised in the skin by sunlight?

Vitamin D is synthesised when the skin is exposed to sunlight (UV rays); deficiency causes rickets in children.

Q: Which vitamin deficiency causes night blindness?

Vitamin A (retinol) deficiency causes night blindness and, if severe, xerophthalmia.

Q: What is a good mnemonic to remember vitamin deficiency diseases?

“A for Eye, D for Bones, K for Clotting, C for Gums, B1 for Nerves” — simple keyword linking for fast recall in exams.

Related Biology Topics for Government Exams

Pair this page with your broader biology revision chain: human physiology and digestion, nutrition and balanced diet, human diseases and their pathogens, and the circulatory and excretory systems. Cover those next — vitamins questions frequently appear bundled with nutrition and disease MCQs in the same shift. Revise the master table once more before you close this page.

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