What concept illustrates that Vitamin C essentiality is species-dependent?

Answer

Many other animal species can synthesize Vitamin C internally without dietary intake.

The determination of whether a substance is an essential nutrient is entirely dependent on the specific metabolic capabilities of the species being studied; this concept is often termed species-dependent essentiality. A prime illustration of this principle involves Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). While humans absolutely require Vitamin C in their diet because they lack the necessary internal synthesis pathways, numerous other animal species and certain types of plants retain the metabolic machinery needed to produce sufficient quantities of Vitamin C on their own. This means that for those other organisms, Vitamin C is not classified as an essential nutrient, emphasizing that essentiality relates to internal limitations rather than universal biological importance.

What concept illustrates that Vitamin C essentiality is species-dependent?

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