Science

In 1906, English biochemist Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins also discovered that certain food factors were important to health. The term vitamin originated from "vitamine, " a word first used in 1911 by the Polish scientist Cashmir Funk to designate a group of compounds considered vital for life; each was thought to have a nitrogen-containing component known as an amine. The final e of vitamine was dropped when it was discovered that not all of the vitamins contain nitrogen, and, therefore, not all are amines. The term accessory food factor sometimes is used instead of vitamin to refer to these substances. The following is a brief history of the discovery of the different vitamins. Vitamin A: Elmer V. McCollum and M. Davis discovered vitamin A during 1912-1914. In 1913, Yale researchers, Thomas Osborne and Lafayette Mendel discovered that butter contained a fat-soluble nutrient soon known as vitamin A. Vitamin A was first synthesized in 1947. Vitamin B was discovered by Elmer V. McCollum discovered sometimes around 1915-1916 and Vitamin B1 by Casimir Funk in 1912. Vitamin B2 was discovered by D. T. Smith, E. G. Hendrick in 1926. Max Tishler invented methods for synthesizing the essential vitamin B2. Niacin was discovered by American, Conrad Elvehjem in 1937, folic acid by Lucy Wills in 1933. Vitamin BB6 was discovered by Paul Gyorgy in 1934. The Scottish naval surgeon James Lindin observed in 1747 that a nutrient in citrus foods, now known to be Vitamin C, prevented scurvy. Vitamin C was rediscovered by Norwegians, A. Hoist and T. Froelich in 1912. Vitamin C was the first vitamin to be artificially synthesized in 1935. In 1922, Edward Mellanby discovered Vitamin D while researching a disease called rickets. Vitamin E was discovered in 1922 in green leafy vegetables by University of California researchers, Herbert Evans and Katherine Bishop discovered vitamin E in green leafy vegetables.

The electron configuration of an atom is the representation of the arrangement of electrons distributed among the orbital shells and subshells. Commonly, the electron configuration is used to describe the orbitals of an atom in its ground state, but it can also be used to represent an atom that has ionized into a cation or anion by compensating with the loss of or gain of electrons in their subsequent orbitals. Many of the physical and chemical properties of elements can be correlated to their unique electron configurations. The valence electrons, electrons in the outermost shell, are the determining factor for the unique chemistry of the element.