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retinol
(redirected from Vitamin A deficiency)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.04 sec.
retinol: see Vitamin A under vitamin vitamin, group of organic substances that are required in the diet of humans and animals for normal growth, maintenance of life, and normal reproduction. Vitamins act as catalysts; very often either the vitamins themselves are coenzymes , or they form integral parts
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vitamin A

 also called retinol

Fat-soluble alcohol, most abundant in fatty fish and especially in fish-liver oils. It is not found in plants, but many vegetables and fruits contain beta-carotene (see carotene), which is readily converted in the body to vitamin A. It functions directly in vision, especially night vision. A derivative, retinaldehyde, is a component of the visual pigments, including rhodopsin, in the retina. Humans require vitamin A in very small amounts. Unlike carotenes, it is toxic in large amounts and is readily destroyed by exposure to heat, light, or air.


retinol [′ret·ən‚ȯl]
(biochemistry)


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Measles remains a primary cause of death in developing nations, where vitamin A deficiency is common.
The report states that less extreme cases result in: iron deficiency, which impairs intellectual development in young children, thus lowering national IQs: vitamin A deficiency, which compromises the immune system of approximately 40 per cent of children under five in developing countries and leads to the deaths of 1 million each year; and iodine deficiency in pregnancy, which causes mental impairment in as many as 20 million babies each year.
However, since some vitamin A is necessary to maintain good eyesight and general health, Denke and Michaelsson agree that fully fortified foods and supplements should remain available in countries where poor nutrition puts people at risk of a vitamin A deficiency.
 
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