Consider the following pairs : Vitamin : Deficiency disease 1. Vitamin C : Scurvy 2. Vitamin D : Rickets 3. Vitamin E : Night blindness Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- (a) 1 and 2 only ✓ UPSC's answer
- (b) 3 only
- (c) 1, 2 and 3
- (d) None
Why the answer is (a)
• Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy (pair 1 correct) and vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults (pair 2 correct).
• Night blindness is caused by vitamin A deficiency, not vitamin E (pair 3 wrong); vitamin E deficiency causes neurological problems and haemolysis.
• Hence 1 and 2 only, option (a).
Why the other options are wrong
- (b) 3 only
- Pair 3 is wrong: night blindness is vitamin A deficiency.
- (c) 1, 2 and 3
- Pair 3 is wrong.
- (d) None
- Pairs 1 and 2 are correct.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2014, held on 24 August 2014. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.