Vitamin C And Human Body

 

                  Animals Can Produce Vitamin C In The Body 

Most animals can produce Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the liver from glucose. The final step of this pathway requires the enzyme:

                                                      L-gulonolactone oxidase (GULO)

 

 

         Humans Cannot Synthesize Vitamin C In The Body

 Humans lack a functional GULO enzyme because the GULO gene is mutated and inactive (a pseudogene). The mutation occurred about 40–60 million years ago in a common ancestor of primates. Since their diet was rich in fruits (high in Vitamin C), there was no evolutionary pressure to maintain the enzyme.

 

               Humans Have To Obtain Vitamin C From Food  

 

 

 

 

 

Functions Of Vitamin C 

 

 

 

 

 

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