Vitamin C

:This article is about the nutrient.

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::For the musician, see Colleen Fitzpatrick.

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::For a general discussion on the chemical properties of the molecule, see Ascorbic acid

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Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient essential for life, used by the human body for many purposes.

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To the best of scientific knowledge, all animals and plants synthesize their own vitamin C, except for humans and a small number of animals, including, apes, guinea pigs, the red-vented bulbul, a fruit-eating bat and a species of trout, that are not able to. This has led a minority of scientists, most notabley Linus Pauling to conclude that failure to produce the chemical by an animal species is a genetic defect and to hypothesise that if it were replaced in humans to the level found in animals better health would result.

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Vitamin C was first isolated in 1928, and in 1932 it was proved to be the agent which prevents scurvy. Albert Szent-Gy?rgyi was awarded the Nobel Prize for this feat.

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Vitamin C is a weak acid, called ascorbic acid or ascorbate (an L-enantiomer of ascorbic acid; an l-enantiomer is simply one of two mirror image forms of the same chemical molecular structure, see optical isomers). The active part of the substance is the ascorbate ion, which can express itself as either an acid or a salt of ascorbate that is neutral or slightly basic. Commercial vitamin C is often a mix of ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate and/or other ascorbates. See the ascorbic acid article for a full description of the molecule's chemical properties.

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Musician: A musician is a person who plays or composes music. Musicians can be classified by their role in production, including instrument and genre:...

Colleen Fitzpatrick: Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick (born June 27, 1970) is a pop music artist and actress, better known by her stage name, Vitamin C. Fitzpatrick was born in Old Bridge, New Jersey. Her hits include "Smile", "As Long As You're Loving Me", "Graduation (Friends Forever)" (which reached #38 on the Billboard Hot 1...

Water: :This article focuses on water as it is experienced in everyday life. See water (molecule) for information on the chemical and physical properties of pure water (H2O, hydrogen oxide)....

Vitamin C related Images and Photos (experimental)

Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid . Polarized Lm

Skin of a Person with Scurvy Caused by a Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid Deficiency