GED Science TestLife ScienceMedium
A client is experiencing symptoms of chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, and impaired bone healing. A blood test reveals low levels of a specific vitamin. The physician recommends dietary changes and supplements to increase the intake of this vitamin, which is crucial for calcium absorption and bone mineralization. Which vitamin is being described?
- AVitamin B12
- BVitamin K
- CVitamin C
- DVitamin D
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for the regulation of calcium and phosphate in the body, playing a crucial role in calcium absorption in the gut and the mineralization of bone. Deficiency leads to symptoms like muscle weakness, fatigue, and impaired bone health, such as rickets in children or osteomalacia in adults.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Vitamin B12 is essential for nerve function and red blood cell formation, deficiency causes pernicious anemia.
- B. Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and bone metabolism, but not primarily for calcium absorption.
- C. Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis and acts as an antioxidant, deficiency causes scurvy.
Vitamin D Function
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a crucial role in calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism. It is essential for the absorption of calcium from the intestine and for proper mineralization of bone.
- Regulates calcium and phosphate levels.
- Promotes calcium absorption in the gut.
- Essential for bone growth and remodeling.
- Deficiency can lead to rickets (children) or osteomalacia (adults).
Memory trick: D for D-light, D for Density (bone density)!