Which animals are predisposed to scurvy due to vitamin C deficiency?

Which animals are predisposed to scurvy due to vitamin C deficiency?

• A. Primates and guinea pigs
• B. Dogs and cats
• C. Rabbits and hamsters
• D. Birds and reptiles

Answer: (A)

Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis, and some animals cannot make it on their own and must obtain it from their diet. Primates and guinea pigs lack the enzyme that converts glucose to ascorbic acid, so they depend entirely on dietary vitamin C. If their intake is inadequate, connective tissues fail to form properly, leading to scurvy with signs such as swollen or bleeding gums, poor wound healing, and bone or joint issues in young animals. The other groups—dogs and cats, rabbits and hamsters, birds and reptiles—can typically synthesize vitamin C internally, so they are not as prone to deficiency from diet alone. This is why primates and guinea pigs are the predisposed pair.

Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis, and some animals cannot make it on their own and must obtain it from their diet. Primates and guinea pigs lack the enzyme that converts glucose to ascorbic acid, so they depend entirely on dietary vitamin C. If their intake is inadequate, connective tissues fail to form properly, leading to scurvy with signs such as swollen or bleeding gums, poor wound healing, and bone or joint issues in young animals. The other groups—dogs and cats, rabbits and hamsters, birds and reptiles—can typically synthesize vitamin C internally, so they are not as prone to deficiency from diet alone. This is why primates and guinea pigs are the predisposed pair.