Folic acid

  • Stefan Eberhard
  • Digital Images
  • Online

Available online

view Folic acid

Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

You can use this work for any purpose, as long as it is not primarily intended for or directed to commercial advantage or monetary compensation. You should also provide attribution to the original work, source and licence. Read more about this licence.

Credit

Folic acid. Stefan Eberhard. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Selected images from this work

View 1 image

About this work

Description

Light micrograph of folic acid crystals. Folic acid (also known as Vitamin B9) is an important component of the diet as it is required for numerous cellular functions including synthesising DNA and DNA repair. It is also important for red blood cell production. A lack of folic acid can lead to neurotube defects in embryos and is thus particularly important during development, hence why it is recommended as a supplement for pregnant women. The name is derived from the Latin 'folium' (which means "leaf") and leafy vegetables are a good source of folic acid.

Contributors

Subjects

Permanent link