Vitamins were discovered in?

Appeared in: UPRVUNL - 2021

Explanation

The term 'vitamin' was coined in 1912 by Polish biochemist Casimir Funk.
Funk isolated a substance from rice polishings that could cure beriberi and believed it was a 'vital amine', hence the name 'vitamine'.
The final 'e' was later dropped when it was realized that not all such essential compounds were amines.
This historical event marks the conceptual birth of vitamins as a distinct class of essential nutrients.

Option A: This year is incorrect. While research into essential nutrients was ongoing, the term 'vitamin' had not yet been coined. In 1915, McCollum and Davis introduced the A, B, and C naming system, but this was after Funk's initial naming in 1912.
Option B: This year is too late. By 1961, most of the major vitamins had already been discovered, isolated, and their chemical structures identified.
Option C: This year is incorrect. By 1953, the structures of most vitamins were known, and research had shifted towards understanding their metabolic functions.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain History of Vitamin Discovery as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding the history of vitamin discovery highlights the critical role of micronutrients in preventing deficiency diseases (like beriberi, scurvy, rickets), a foundational concept in nursing and dietetics.
Nurses apply this knowledge daily when assessing nutritional status, administering supplements, and educating patients on the importance of a balanced diet to prevent diseases.
What if a patient on long-term antibiotic therapy develops new symptoms? The nurse should consider that antibiotics can disrupt gut bacteria that synthesize certain vitamins (like Vitamin K and some B vitamins), potentially leading to a deficiency that requires supplementation.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the core question: The question asks for the year vitamins were 'discovered'. This is a factual recall question about a specific historical event in nutrition.
Scan the options: The options are all years in the 20th century.
Access historical knowledge: Recall or look for the key event associated with the origin of the term 'vitamin'.
Connect the event to the person and year: Remember that Casimir Funk coined the term 'vitamine' after his work on beriberi.
Select the corresponding date: Funk's work and the coining of the term occurred in 1912.
Verify against other options: The other dates do not align with this foundational event in the history of nutrition.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QSTZNvz4z8DEC1MhwKi0kz

E6 Nutrition Monika Sharma 3e p. 40-42

E6 Biochemistry U Satyanarayana— Part 1 (pp 26-420 of 840) p. 107-109

Practise the full UPRVUNL - 2021

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.