NU FS305 Study Guide - Final Guide: Retinol, Vitamin A, Carotenoid

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Nutrition and Food Sciences
• Course: NU FS305
• Professor: Donna Vine

Document Summary

Beta catotene, the precursor to vitamin a is a type of phytochemical called a carotenoid. There are 3 different forms of vitamin a in the body, they include: 1) retinol (alcohol form: retinal (aldehyde form) and 3) retinoic acid (acid form). To refer to all the forms we call then retinods. We find retinyl, the ester form in animal foods and beta carotene in plant foods. Retinal affects vison, retinoic acid is important to cell differentiation and protein synthesis and retinol (the major transport foem) is needed in reproduction. Taking a closer look at retinal and vision we know that the cornea, transpart membrane covering the iris and the structure od rhodopsin in the retina, which is responsible for image perception, both rely of retinal. Retinoic acid is important for cell specialization in the body and also has a part in al the epithelial tissues in the body. These have important barrier functions to the body.