Vitamin B12 facts for kids

The cobalamine molecule. Its half-life in the blood is only 6 days, but its half-life in the liver is 400 days

Methylcobalamin (shown) is a form of vitamin B₁₂. The dark red crystals form cherry-colored transparent solutions in water

Vitamin B₁₂ (or vitamin B-12) is also called cobalamin. It has a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins.

B₁₂ is normally involved in the metabolism of every cell of the human body, especially DNA synthesis and regulation, but also fatty acid and amino acid metabolism. Fungi, plants and animals (including humans) cannot produce vitamin B₁₂. Only bacteria and archaea have enzymes for its synthesis, although animals can convert it to the version they need.

Many foods are a natural source of B₁₂ because of bacterial symbiosis. It is produced by some of the gut flora of herbivores. Carnivores, of course, eat herbivores. Also algae and plants get it from symbiosis. So, by one route or another, animals must get vitamin B₁₂ from bacteria (and archaea).

The vitamin is the largest and most structurally complicated vitamin. It can be produced industrially only by bacterial fermentation-synthesis.

Vitamin B₁₂ is a group of chemically related compounds, all of which have vitamin activity. It contains the biochemically rare element cobalt sitting in the center of a ring called a corrin ring. In the human body it is converted to the human physiological forms.

Vitamin B₁₂ was discovered by its relationship to pernicious anemia, which is an autoimmune disease. Because an "intrinsic factor" is needed for B₁₂ to be absorbed, its lack causes a vitamin B₁₂ deficiency. Many other kinds of vitamin B₁₂ deficiency have since been found.

Images for kids

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  Metabolism of folic acid. The role of Vitamin B12 is seen at bottom-left.