Biology

Deficiency Diseases and Disorders

722 Questions

Deficiency diseases and disorders are caused by a lack of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in the diet or environment. This includes conditions like anemia, goitre, and night blindness. Practice these questions to prepare for general science exams.

Vitamin deficiency symptomsMineral deficiency disordersMalnutrition conceptsHormonal and specific diseases

Deficiency Diseases and Disorders Questions

Multiple choice

When there is a deficiency of iodine in human body, which disease occurs?

  1. Beri-Beri

  2. Cataract

  3. Hernia

  4. Goiter
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Iodine deficiency causes goiter, the abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland as it grows trying to capture more iodine from the blood to produce thyroid hormones. Beri-beri is caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. Cataracts are caused by various factors including aging and diabetes, not iodine deficiency. Hernia is a physical defect in muscle tissue, unrelated to nutrition.

Multiple choice

Directions: Choose the appropriate answer from the options given below:

Phrenoderma is the disease caused by the deficiency of

  1. vitamin A

  2. vitamin D

  3. minerals

  4. fatty acids

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Phrenoderma is a skin condition caused by deficiency of essential fatty acids. It results in scaly, flaky skin and was historically used as a marker for nutritional deficiencies involving fats. Essential fatty acids like linoleic acid are crucial for skin health.

Multiple choice

Deficiency of thiamine causes

  1. prenicious aneamia

  2. scurvy

  3. beriberi

  4. aneamia

  5. cheilosis
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This option is correct because vitamin B1 is called thiamine. It is found in pulses and nuts. Due to the deficiency of thiamine, beriberi occurs. Retarded growth, lost appetite and weight loss are the features of beriberi.

Multiple choice

Scurvy is the disease caused due to deficiency of

  1. vitamin A

  2. vitamin B

  3. vitamin C

  4. vitamin D
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Scurvy is a disease caused by deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen, a protein important for healthy skin, blood vessels, and connective tissues. Without adequate vitamin C, the body cannot produce collagen properly, leading to symptoms like bleeding gums, fatigue, and poor wound healing. Fresh fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, are rich sources of vitamin C.

Multiple choice

A patient is generally advised to specially consume more meat, lentils, milk and eggs in diet only when he suffers from

  1. Anaemia.

  2. Scurvy.

  3. Kwashiorkor.

  4. Rickets.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 Kwashiorkor is a form of severe protein–energy malnutrition.Sufficient calorie intake, but with insufficient protein consumption, distinguishes it from marasmus. Kwashiorkor cases occur in areas of famine or poor food supply.So a patient suffering from Kwashiorkor is generally advised to specially consume more meat, lentils, milk and eggs in diet.

Multiple choice

Which group of thereof the following five statements (I - V) contains all three correct statements regarding beri-beri?

I. A crippling disease prevalent among the native population of sub-Saharan Africa. II. A deficiency disease caused by lack of thiamine (vitamin B1). III. A nutritional disorder in infants and young children when the diet is persistently deficient in essential protein.
IV. Occurs in those countries where the staple diet is polished rice. V. The symptoms are pain from neuritis, paralysis, muscle wasting, progressive oedema, mental deterioration and finally heart failure.

  1. II, III and V

  2. I, II and IV

  3. II, IV and V

  4. I, III and V
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 Beriberi, nutritional disorder caused by a deficiency of thiamin (vitamin B1) and characterized by impairment of the nerves and heart. General symptoms include loss of appetite and overall lassitude, digestive irregularities, and a feeling of numbness and weakness in the limbs and extremities.In East Asian countries, where polished white rice is a dietary staple, beriberi has been a long-standing problem.

Multiple choice

Deficit in weight for height in a 3-year-old child indicates:

  1. acute malnutrition

  2. chronic malnutrition

  3. concomitant acute and chronic malnutrition

  4. underweight
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Weight for height: weight in relation to height is now considered more important than weight above. Low weight for height is also known as nutritional wasting for emaciation (acute malnutrition). It is associated with increased risk of mortality and morbidity.