What is a vitamin?

special organic constituents that prevented certain of the classical human diseases of that time.

   What is the difference between fat soluble and water soluble vitamins?

Fat-soluble vitamins are digested and absorbed using the same mechanisms as dietary fat, and their metabolites are excreted primarily in the feces through the bile.

Water-soluble vitamins are absorbed in the small intestine and are excreted in the urine. Fat vitamins are more toxic. Since fat-soluble vitamins can be stored, deficiencies develop more slowly in animals than water-soluble vitamin deficiencies.

  Describe fat soluble vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins are digested and absorbed using the same mechanisms as dietary fat, and their metabolites are excreted primarily in the feces through the bile.

Name the fat soluble vitamins and their chemical names

Vitamin A, Retinol

Vitamin D, Ergocalciferol, Cholecalciferol

Vitamin E, Tocopherol

Vitamin K, Phylloquinone

Name the water soluble vitamins and their chemical names

B complex

B1, Thiamin

B2, Riboflavin, Nicotinamide

B6, Pyridoxine, Pantothenic acid, Biotin, Folic acid, Choline

B12, Cyanocobalamin

C, Ascorbic acid

For each of the following fat soluble vitamins:  A, D, E, K

a.     Name their forms

b.     Describe their functions

Vitamin A- Retinol, Retinal, Retinoic acid, beta-carotene; normal night vision, lining the respiratory and digestive cavities, skin, urogenital regions, normal bone growth

Vitamin D- Ergocalciferol, Cholecalciferol; absorption of calcium in the bone and intestines

Vitamin E- tocopherols and tocotrienols; potent antioxidant- combat free radicals in cells

Vitamin K-  quinones- phyllo and mena; blood clotting

 What are the three layers of the eye?

Fibrous, vascular and retina

  How does light enter the eye?

cornea, aqueous humor, lens, vitreous humor, retina

 What is the function of rods?  Cones?

Rods- allow an animal to process black and white images in dim light, cones- allow and animal to process color images

   What is rhodopsin and what is it made up of?

A light sensitive pigment that enables the eye to adapt to changes in light intensity, retinol and opsin

  Which animal has the highest amount of vitamin A stored in their liver? Lowest stored?

Highest- soup-fin shark, lowest- pig

 What are the two forms of vitamin D?

D2 and D3

What is the active form of vitamin D called?  What is the function of this form?

Calcitrol, promotes absorption of calcium in bone and intestines

 What are antioxidants?

Group of vitamins and or enzymes that defend against free radicals

   Why are free radicals problematic?

They can damage cell membranes and DNA

   Describe the three phases of hemostasis

1.Vascular spasm – makes wound smaller by narrowing blood vessels

2.Platelet plug formation – plugs clot with platelets (important in blood clotting)

3.Coagulation – using proteins to turn clot into fibrin strands

Define hemostasis

Blood clotting

 What is the difference between the intrinsic and extrinsic pathway?

Intrinsic is in the blood, extrinsic is outside the blood

 what is sweet clover disease?

A disease found in cattle. When sweet clover is preserved as hay or silage it can be converted to dicoumarol by fungi. This lowers the prothrombin content of the blood and impairs blood clotting.

   Name the water-soluble vitamins

B complex- B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9

B12, Cyanocobalamin

C, Ascorbic acid

  Describe the deficiency symptoms for water-soluble vitamins

Decreased appetite, poor growth, decrease production, goose stepping, anemia

What is scurvy?

Vitamin c deficiency- impaired wound healing, capillary bleeding, anemia, faulty bone formation

  What is the difference between endocrine and exocrine glands?

Exocrine glands- nonhormonal substances, have ducts to carry secretion to membrane surface; exocrine glands- produce hormones which circulate in the bloodstream, lack ducts, bind to target cells

   Name some functions for the endocrine system

Controls and integrates reproduction, growth, development, maintenance of electrolyte, water and nutrient balance of blood, digestion, cellular metabolism and energy balance, mobilization of body defenses

    What is negative feedback?

Mechanism to maintain homeostasis. Change in a variable that is regulated (stimulus), receptor detects stimulus and sends info to control center, integrates input, sends output info to effector, effector brings change to stimulus, homeostasis is restored. Works like an AC unit in a house

 What is homeostasis?

Stable state

    Describe the pancreas

Has both exocrine and endocrine cells, produces enzyme-rich juice for digestion (exocrine) and contains endocrine cells

 Describe the effects of insulin and glucagon

Insulin binds to the receptor and allows glucose to enter the cell, glucagon stimulates the breakdown of glycogen- the storage form of glucose. They both help remove excess sugar from blood.

What is the absorptive state?

Period of storing nutrients

What is the postabsorptive state?

Period of releasing stored nutrients

Describe diabetes mellitus

A chronic disorder of carbohydrate metabolism due to relative or absolute insulin deficiency

   What describes Type 1 diabetes?  Type 2?

Type 1- insufficient insulin is produced and requires daily injections, Type 2- insulin is produced but its effectiveness has been diminished

Name some potential factors for dogs and cats developing diabetes

When the animal’s body isn’t producing enough insulin, when the pancreas is damaged and not functioning properly, when the pancreas is producing insulin but the body isn’t utilizing it like it should

   What is a glucose curve?

A measure of glycemia- insulin effectiveness. A blood sample is drawn multiple times in one day to test glucose levels in blood.

What is the Somogyi effect?

The body overcompensating for extremely low blood sugar resulting in high blood sugar

What are the symptoms of diabetes mellitus?

Increased thirst, urination, appetite, cataracts

 What is cataracts?

Opacity in the lens

   What are some recommended daily treatments for diabetes mellitus?

Daily insulin injections

  BONUS – describe the testing found in veterinary medicine.

Urinalysis- will find glucose in urine if positive for diabetes (urinalysis reagent strip), blood tests