Vitamin C deficiency causes which disease?

• A. Rickets
• B. Scurvy
• C. Pellagra
• D. Beriberi

Answer: (B)

Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis because it acts as a cofactor for the enzymes that hydroxylate proline and lysine residues in collagen. When vitamin C is deficient, collagen formation is impaired, leading to fragile blood vessels and poor tissue repair. This causes the hallmark signs of scurvy—gum disease, easy bruising, perifollicular hemorrhages, corkscrew hairs, and poor wound healing.

Other listed conditions come from different nutrient deficiencies: lack of vitamin D leads to rickets with defective bone mineralization; niacin deficiency causes pellagra with dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia; and thiamine deficiency causes beriberi with neuropathy and cardiovascular issues.