B₁₂/Folate Problem set

Vitamin B₁₂ and folate, while very distinct nutrients as far as their synthesis and uptake from the diet are concerned, have roles in the body that overlap in one crucial respect. This overlap also means that a deficiency in either nutrient can mimic a deficiency in the other. These two "vitamins" are therefore often considered together.

Biosynthesis will not be considered in detail for either nutrient, although biosynthesis of folate in bacteria is a target for antibiotic action.

Dietary uptake of vitamin B₁₂ is of great interest to medicine, as it is defective in patients with the common disorder called "pernicious anemia". The student is referred to an excellent module on vitamin B₁₂ uptake prepared by Dr. Louise Canfield.

B12Uptake Animation (3.4MB) Uptake of folate is not treated in detail in this course.