Deficiency Diseases and Disorders

Lack of iron in the diet leads to a deficiency disease called anaemia.

Lack of vitamin B1 in the diet causes a deficiency disease called beriberi. The symptoms are loss of weight.

Goiter is caused by iodine deficiency in the diet. The thyroid gland requires iodine to produce hormones, and when iodine is insufficient, the gland enlarges (goiter) as it tries to compensate. Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of preventable brain damage worldwide.

Rickets is a bone disease caused by vitamin D deficiency, leading to soft and weak bones in children. Scurvy results from vitamin C deficiency, beriberi from thiamine (B1) deficiency, and rhinorrhea is a medical term for runny nose, not a deficiency disease.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency causes beriberi, a condition affecting the nervous and cardiovascular systems. The other options are related to different deficiencies - vitamin K causes clotting failure.

All three vitamin-deficiency disease pairs are scientifically accurate. Vitamin A deficiency causes nyctalopia (night blindness), Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency causes beriberi, and Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy.

Anemia is directly caused by nutritional deficiencies, particularly iron, folate, or vitamin B12 deficiency. While Scurvy results from vitamin C deficiency and Flurosis from excess fluoride, Diabetes is a metabolic disorder, not primarily a nutritional deficiency disease.

Pernicious anaemia is one of the obvious symptoms of a cobalt deficiency.

Pellagra is a deficiency disease caused by lack of niacin (vitamin B3) or its amino acid precursor tryptophan. The classic symptoms are known as the '3 Ds': diarrhea, dermatitis, and dementia, with death being the fourth if untreated. Pellagra was historically common in populations dependent on corn-based diets. The other options are deficiencies of different vitamins: folic acid (megaloblastic anemia), vitamin C (scurvy), and thiamine (beriberi).

Byssinosis is specifically an occupational lung disease caused by exposure to cotton, flax, or hemp dust in textile workers. It is not genetic, hormonal, or nutritional - it develops from workplace inhalation of organic dust particles.

This is due to protein deficiency and not food calories intake. In developing countries like India it is common in infants below one year of age. The causal factor may be due to early replacement of mother's milk by other foods of low protein and calorific value. This may happen if the mother has a second pregnancy when the older infant is still too young.

Pellagra is a vitamin deficiency disease most frequently caused by a chronic lack of niacin (vitamin B3 in the diet. It can be caused by decreased intake of niacin or tryptophan, and possibly by excessive intake of leucine.

Vitamin E deficiency causes nerve problems due to poor conduction of electrical impulses along nerves due to changes in nerve membrane structure and function.

Protein should be supplied only for anabolic purposes. The catabolic needs should be satisfied with carbohydrate and fat. Protein catabolism involves the urea cycle, which is located in the liver and can easily overwhelm the capacity of an already damaged organ.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency anemia and neurologic dysfunction. A mild deficiency may not cause any discernible symptoms, but as the deficiency becomes more significant symptoms of anemia may result.