Historical Perspective and Nomenclature
Start with the big picture
In 1912, Casimir Funk named an anti-beriberi factor isolated from rice polishings “vitamine,” combining “vital” and “amine.” As researchers established that not all vitamins are amines, the final “e” was dropped. Early investigators also described vitamins as accessory food factors, connecting them with diseases such as beriberi, scurvy, and pellagra. Alphabetical labels A, B, and C arose from early classification by solubility and physiological role; later, the B group was divided into chemically distinct vitamins. Extraction into organic solvents helped distinguish fat-soluble vitamins from water-soluble ones. As chemical identities became clearer, some lettered factors were renamed, merged, or dropped. Today, chemical names accompany familiar letter designations, with chemical names recommended in scientific texts and letters retained for clinical brevity.
What you'll learn
- Explain the origin of the terms “vitamine” and “vitamin.”
- Describe how deficiency diseases shaped early vitamin terminology.
- Summarize the development of alphabetical and chemical nomenclature.
- Distinguish early vitamin groups by solubility and extraction.
- Explain why some historical vitamin labels were revised or dropped.
Continue your study
Work through the complete notes and reinforce the topic with the study tools available in the full lesson.
