Vitamin Lost Its E Because Not All of Them Were Amines
A vitamin is a nutrient the body needs in small amounts. The word was coined as vitamine, and the final e was dropped when the chemistry proved wrong.
A vitamin is an organic compound needed in small amounts that the body cannot make for itself. The name has a correction built in: Casimir Funk coined *vitamine* in 1912 from *vital amine*, believing the substances were all amines. When it turned out that most were not, the final *e* was quietly dropped and the word stayed.
- An essential micronutrient. *Vitamin C.*
- A supplement. *She takes vitamins.*
- Vitamin as a modifier. *Vitamin deficiency.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | vitamin | Vitamin D. |
| Plural | vitamins | Daily vitamins. |
| Related | mineral | Vitamins and minerals. |
| Related | deficiency | A vitamin deficiency. |
| Related | micronutrient | Essential micronutrients. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Vitamin D is made in the skin from sunlight.Which is why supplements are advised in winter at high latitudes.
- Scurvy is caused by vitamin C deficiency.Solved for the navy in the eighteenth century.
- Fat-soluble vitamins can accumulate.Which is why excess intake can be harmful.
Vitamin facts
- Thirteen vitamins — recognised for humans
- Fat-soluble — A, D, E and K, stored in the body
- Water-soluble — the B group and C, excreted more readily
- Vitamin D — really a hormone the body can make in sunlight
- Missing letters — several proposed vitamins were reclassified, leaving gaps in the sequence
Coined by Casimir Funk in 1912 as *vitamine*, from Latin *vita*, life, and *amine*. The spelling was amended in 1920 when the chemistry proved more varied.
Why are letters missing from the sequence?
Several substances first called vitamins turned out to be duplicates or not essential, and their letters were withdrawn.
Can you take too many vitamins?
Yes. Fat-soluble vitamins accumulate in the body, and excessive intake of A or D can cause harm.