Vitamin B-12, or cobalamin, is one of the vitamins important to your ability to produce blood cells. It also has roles in the nervous system. The vast majority of food sources of the vitamin are animal in origin and include meat, dairy and eggs. There are several elements that make up vitamin B-12.
Carbon and Hydrogen
Two of the most common elements in any vitamin -- any molecule of life, for that matter -- are carbon and hydrogen. Together, they form the "skeleton" of the molecules of life, according to Drs. Reginald Garrett and Charles Grisham in their book "Biochemistry." Most of the carbon and hydrogen atoms in the structure of vitamin B-12 -- just as in most molecules -- aren't chemically reactive. They simply support the other atoms like a scaffolding.
Nitrogen and Oxygen
Nitrogen and oxygen are also quite common in the molecules of life and appear in vitamin B-12. These elements tend to be much more reactive in nature. Together with carbon and hydrogen, the nitrogen and oxygen atoms in vitamin B-12 form ring structures that make up the molecule. The shape and structure of the B-12 molecule is similar to that of chlorophyll, which makes plant leaves green, and heme, which makes your blood red, according to Drs. Mary Campbell and Shawn Farrell in their book "Biochemistry."
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is less ubiquitous in the molecules of life than carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. You do find it in molecules like DNA, however. DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid, and is your genetic material. There is also phosphorus in vitamin B-12, in the form of the generally very reactive phosphate group, which has the chemical structure PO4. Though B-12 has many carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen atoms, there's only one phosphorus.
Cobalt
The most unusual element in vitamin B-12 is cobalt, which is a metallic element that's critical to the vitamin's function. The cobalt atom -- there's only one per molecule -- is right at the center of the molecular structure. It is held in place by many nitrogen atoms that are also part of the molecule. The similarly shaped chlorophyll molecule has a magnesium atom where B-12 has cobalt, and heme in blood has an iron atom in the same place.
References
- "Biochemistry"; Mary Campbell, Ph.D. and Shawn Farrell, Ph.D.; 2005
- "Biochemistry"; Reginald Garrett, Ph.D. and Charles Grisham, Ph.D.; 2007
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