Biotin

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Biotin

Categorization

How is the vitamin categorized, and is this related to its name?

Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin that is generally classified as a B-complex vitamin. The term "biotinylation" refers to the covalent addition of biotin to any chemical modifications of DNA.

Why was the vitamin given its name?

Biotin also called vitamin H (the H represents Haar und Haut, German words for "hair and skin"), vitamin B7 or vitamin B8 (in many countries like France, where vitamin B7 is used for Inositol) is a water-soluble B vitamin.

Nomenclature

How does(do) the vitamin name(s) associate with its functions?

The name 'vitamin H' represents Haar and Hault which is German for "hair and skin" which represents the function of Biotin's role for the health of your hair and skin.

What and when was the vitamin named? What other names are associated with this vitamin?

vitamin H

Was given the name Biotin in the 1940s

Biotion

B7

History

What are the basic biological functions of this vitamin?

Biotin is a coenzyme for multiple carboxylase enzymes, which are involved in the digestion of carbohydrates, synthesis of fatty acids, and gluconeogenesis. Biotin is also required for the catabolism and utilization of the three branched-chain amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

When and how was the vitamin discovered?

Vincent du Vigneaud and his colleagues in 1942 noticed that when farm animals were fed raw eggs, they developed a biotin deficiency. Avidin, a protein in raw eggs, binds to biotin and inhibits its enzymatic activity.

1920 discovered but not 'established' untill 1942