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Vitamin C or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for a large number of higher primate species and nearly all bats and a small number of other species, such as guinea pigs and a few species of birds and fish. Vitamin C is made internally by almost all organisms, humans being the most well-known exception. It is widely known as the vitamin whose deficiency causes scurvy in humans.Vitamin C is an antioxidant, and is a cofactor for several vital enzymes.People consuming foods rich in vitamin C, such as fruits and vegetables, are healthier and have less chronic illnesses. Vitamin C is a highly effective antioxidant, as well as an enzyme cofactor for the biosynthesis of many important biochemicals. Vitamin C acts as an electron donor for eight different enzymes.Three participate in collagen production, making vitamin C essential to the development and maintenance of scar tissue, blood vessels, and cartilage. Two are necessary for synthesis of carnitine. Carnitine is essential for the transport of fatty acids into mitochondria for energy release. The remaining three have the following functions: Dopamine beta hydroxylase participates in the biosynthesis of noradrenaline from dopamine. Another enzyme adds amide groups to peptide hormones, greatly increasing their stability. One modulates tyrosine metabolism. Biological tissues that accumulate over 100 times the level in blood plasma of vitamin C are the adrenal glands, pituitary, thymus, corpus luteum, and retina. Those with 10 to 50 times the concentration present in blood plasma include the brain, spleen, lung, testicle, lymph nodes, liver, thyroid, small intestinal mucosa, leukocytes, pancreas, kidney and salivary glands.The vast majority of animals and plants are able to synthesize their own vitamin C. The glucose needed to produce vitamin C in the liver (in mammals and perching birds) is extracted from glycogen. In reptiles and birds the biosynthesis is carried out in the kidneys.The cause of some animals (including humans) needing vitamin C is that the last enzyme in the synthesis process, L-gulonolactone oxidase, cannot be made by the listed animals. The mutation that causes this has not been lethal because vitamin C is abundant in their food sources.An adult goat, a typical example of a vitamin C-producing animal, will manufacture more than 13,000 mg of vitamin C per day in normal health and the biosynthesis will increase "many fold under stress". Trauma or injury has also been demonstrated to use up large quantities of vitamin C in humans.Scurvy results from lack of vitamin C, since without vitamin C the synthesised collagen is too unstable to perform its function. Scurvy leads to the formation of liver spots on the skin, spongy gums, and bleeding from all mucous membranes. In advanced scurvy there are open, suppurating wounds and loss of teeth and, eventually, death. The human body can store only a certain amount of vitamin C, and so the body soon depletes itself if fresh supplies are not consumed.Smoking cigarettes destroys vitamin C.
