213k views
2 votes
Are vitamins considered the building blocks of the cells?

User Ainz Titor
by
7.5k points

1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

Vitamins are essential organic compounds required for various biochemical reactions within the body, but they are not the building blocks of cells. Cells are basic structural units while vitamins function as cofactors and aid in metabolism and cell growth.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student asked whether vitamins are considered the building blocks of the cells. Vitamins are indeed essential to our body, but they are not the building blocks of cells. Instead, cells are the basic structural and functional units of all living organisms, and each cell is an amazingly complex structure that is capable of conducting the processes that define life. On the other hand, vitamins are organic compounds that are needed in small quantities to sustain life. They play crucial roles in various biochemical reactions within the body, including acting as cofactors for enzymes, aiding in metabolism, and contributing to cell and tissue growth. However, the essential building blocks of cells are molecules like amino acids, which form proteins, nucleotides that construct DNA and RNA, and phospholipids that make up cell membranes.

User Martijn Heemels
by
8.0k points