Vitamins: Medicinal Chemist Approach

Vitamins are organic molecules that are required in the diet for normal health and growth of anorganism. This need arises due to the inability of cells to produce these compounds. The name vitamin was originally given to these accessory food factors because these were known to be vital for life and were all believed to be amines. When it became clear that some of them were not amines and did not even contain nitrogen, Drummond suggested the modification that led to the term vitamin. Their minute quantity requirement indicates a catalytic role in the cell. The distinguishing feature of the vitamins is that they generally cannot be synthesized by mammalian cells and, therefore, must be supplied in the diet.