Vitamins

Vitamins are special organic substances which are indispensable for the organism. They do not provide energy and are not plastic materials, but they participate in metabolism as catalysts. They are necessary for the formation of the tissue which influences the transformation of substances in the cells and tissues of the organism.

N. Lunin, a Russian doctor, was the first to establish (in 1880) the presence of these substances (later named vitamins) in food. About 20 vitamins are known today. They are marked by letters А, В, C, D, K, P, etc. The chemical composition and physiological role of most vitamins have already been determined. Some vitamins (B and C) are water soluble, while others (A, D, E, K) are soluble only in fats. The daily requirement of vitamins is measured in milligrams and even parts of a milligram.

Fresh, varied food usually contains enough vitamins for the organism.

Vitamin A is found in green plants and is necessary for proper growth of bones, nutrition of the eye cornea and for proper functioning of night vision.

Vitamin В is a really complicated group of vitamins, twelve of which have now been identified. Some of them are necessary for growth, proper functioning of the nervous system, proper formation of the erythrocytes.

Vitamin C is the vitamin which prevents scurvy and is found in fresh vegetables and citrus

fruit.

Vitamin D prevents rickets, vitamin E deficiency may lead to infertility.

Prolonged deficiency of any vitamin results in a disease known as avitaminosis. Most avitaminoses are accompanied by reduced resistance of the organism to infection, incorrect development and retarded growth in children.

Vitamins are widely used for medical purposes, many of them are produced synthetically.

Exercise 10. Answer the questions.

1. What are the functions of vitamins?

2. How many vitamins are known today?

3. What are the water soluble vitamins?

4. What are the fat soluble vitamins?

5. What is vitamin А (В, C, D, E) necessary for?

6. What is avitaminosis?

II. Grammar Exercises

Exercise 1. Name the parts of speech of the following words.

Basic, significant, useful, elimination, eliminate, devotion, occurrence, importance, incidental, needless, constantly, infection, infectious, pleasure, version.

Exercise 2. a) Learn the meanings of the verbs.

to influence - впливати на, діяти на followed by - за яким іде із наступним

to affect - діяти на, впливати на it follows - із якого випливає

to follow - слідкувати за, супроводжувати as follows - таким чином

• слідкувати, спостерігати за follow-up - наступне медичне

• розуміти спостереження, облік

• слідувати (методу і т.д.) follow-up study - тривале дослідження;

дослідження віддалених результатів

b) Translate the sentences.

1. These results were affected by the presence of a virus.

2. The reaction was followed by a temperature rise.

3. The color is influenced by the heat.

4. Such diseases are influenced by the general conditions of the climate.

5. The results were not affected by the technique.

6. This paper was followed by another one.

7. It follows that vitamins are necessary for the organism.

8. They are conducting a follow-up study.

Exercise 3. Fill in the blanks with the necessary adverbs. Pay attention to their place in the sentence.

thoroughly - ретельно roughly' - грубо

widely - широко somewhat - дещо

rapidly - швидко generally - звичайно

frequently - часто periodically - періодично

however - однак

1. Blood constituents are ... used in clinics. 2. They ... wash their hands with running water. 3. Six other elements are found in ... the same proportions. 4. It is ... recognized that the primeval life developed in the waters of the Earth. 5. With the increase in atomic weight the chemical elements, ... and at definite intervals, show similar properties. 6. Temperature rise is ... accompanied by intramolecular changes. 7. Sodium and chlorine react ... and produce the white solid called sodium chloride. 8. ... the properties of the reagents are quite different.

Exercise 4. You must differentiate.

still	yet
дія ще триває	дія ще не почалася

Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

1. The doctor still needs up-to-date methods of patients' treatment.

2. This disease is still dangerous.

3. The journal still provides cancer information.

4. This question has not been discussed yet.

5. Is the nurse still away? - Yes, she is. She hasn't come yet.

6. That disease is yet unknown.

Exercise 5. Translate the sentences with the word time.

time — час; раз from time to time - час від часу

at a time - одночасно in (on) time - вчасно

for the first time - вперше it is time - пора

next time - наступний раз But! багато часу - long time

1. Вперше про цю хворобу почули ще в 1801 році.

2. Пора йти на операцію (оперувати).

3. Час від часу медсестра заходить в палату.

4. 200 пацієнтів лікуються в лікарні одночасно.

5. Десь в цю пору він приходить додому.

6. Наступного разу він хоче прийти вчасно.

Exercise 6. Put Passive instead of Active, translate the sentences. Model: We speak about the problem.

The problem is spoken about by us.

1. The lungs exrete carbodioxide and water.

2. The liver exretes bile (жовч).

3. The blood carries oxygen through the body.

4. They prepared vaccine for influenza.

5. The doctor prescribes medicines.

6. The scientists pay much attention to infectious diseases.