Retinol

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/retinol

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered Retinol?Discovered in 1909, isolated in 1931, and first synthesized in 1947
2. What is the chemical classification?Fat-soluble vitamin, a member of the vitamin A family (specifically vitamin A1)
3. What is the therapeutic status?Listed on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines
4. What is retinol and why is it important for my eyes?Retinol is a special vitamin that turns into retinal, a part of the eye’s light‑sensing proteins. It helps us see in both bright and dim light.
5. Where can I get retinol from food?You can find retinol in animal foods like liver, fish oils, and dairy products. Eating these foods helps keep your body healthy.

Phototransduction: The process by which light energy is converted into a signal that the nervous system can understand.
Gene expression: The process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product, like a protein.
Teratogenic: Causing developmental abnormalities in a fetus.
Xerophthalmia: A progressive eye disease caused by vitamin A deficiency, leading to dryness and potential blindness.