Vitamin Deficiency Diseases: Scurvy, Rickets, Pernicious Anaemia and Cheilosis
Chemistry · Biomolecules · NEET
Each vitamin has one disease NEET asks about. Vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy (bleeding gums), vitamin D causes rickets (bent bones in children), vitamin B12 causes pernicious anaemia (fewer red blood cells), and vitamin B2 (riboflavin) causes cheilosis (cracked lips). Memory hook: "C for Cuts in gums, D for Deformed bones, B12 for Blood, B2 for Broken lips."
The four most-asked NEET vitamin deficiency diseases: vitamin C to scurvy, vitamin D to rickets, vitamin B12 to pernicious anaemia, and vitamin B2 (riboflavin) to cheilosis.
Your doubts, answered
Which vitamin deficiency causes scurvy?
Scurvy is caused by the deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The main sign is bleeding gums. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus fruits and amla. NCERT lists this directly, and NEET expects you to link scurvy only to vitamin C.
Which vitamin deficiency causes rickets?
Rickets is caused by the deficiency of vitamin D. It gives bone deformities (bent, weak bones) in children. In adults the same vitamin D deficiency causes osteomalacia (soft bones and joint pain). So remember: vitamin D deficiency = rickets in kids, osteomalacia in adults.
Pernicious anaemia is the deficiency of which vitamin?
Pernicious anaemia is caused by deficiency of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin). Vitamin B12 helps red blood cells mature. Without it, RBCs are fewer and low in haemoglobin. NEET 2021 asked this exact fact, and the answer is vitamin B12 (not B6 or B2).
Cheilosis is caused by deficiency of which vitamin?
Cheilosis is caused by deficiency of vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Cheilosis means cracking and inflammation at the corners of the mouth and lips. This is a very common NEET match-the-column point, tested in 2023 and 2025.
What is the difference between rickets and osteomalacia?
Both come from the same cause: vitamin D deficiency. Rickets happens in children and bends the growing bones. Osteomalacia happens in adults and makes bones soft with joint pain. NEET may put both in one option to test if you know the age difference.
Which vitamin B deficiency causes beri-beri and which causes convulsions?
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency causes beri-beri. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) deficiency causes convulsions. These two are the common distractors NEET adds next to B2 and B12, so learn them together to avoid a wrong match.
⚠️ The NEET trap ✗ Choosing vitamin B6 or vitamin B2 for pernicious anaemia because they are also B-group vitamins. ✓ Pernicious anaemia is only vitamin B12. B6 deficiency gives convulsions, B2 gives cheilosis, B1 gives beri-beri. 🧠 'Anaemia = blood = B-twelve' — the biggest B number goes with blood.
Real NEET questions
NEET 2021
Deficiency of red blood cells (pernicious anaemia) is the deficiency disease of
A · Vitamin B1
B · Vitamin B2
C · Vitamin B12 ✓
D · Vitamin B6
Solution: Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) is needed for red blood cells to mature. Its deficiency gives pernicious anaemia, where RBCs are fewer and low in haemoglobin. B1 deficiency = beri-beri, B2 = cheilosis, B6 = convulsions. So the answer is vitamin B12 (option C).
NEET 2023 Phase 2
Cheilosis occurs due to deficiency of _________.
A · Pyridoxamine
B · Riboflavin ✓
C · Thiamine
D · Nicotinamide
Solution: Cheilosis (cracking and inflammation at the corners of the mouth and lips) is the classic sign of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) deficiency. Pyridoxamine is a form of B6, thiamine is B1 (beri-beri), and nicotinamide is B3 (pellagra). So the answer is riboflavin (option B).
NEET 2025
Match List I (Vitamin) with List II (Deficiency disease): A. Vitamin B12, B. Vitamin D, C. Vitamin B2, D. Vitamin B6 with I. Cheilosis, II. Convulsions, III. Rickets, IV. Pernicious anaemia.
A · A-II, B-III, C-I, D-IV
B · A-IV, B-III, C-II, D-I
C · A-I, B-III, C-II, D-IV
D · A-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II ✓
Solution: Vitamin B12 -> pernicious anaemia (A-IV); Vitamin D -> rickets (B-III); Vitamin B2 -> cheilosis (C-I); Vitamin B6 -> convulsions (D-II). This gives A-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II, which is option D.
Solved Biomolecules NEET PYQs
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
Are vitamin deficiency diseases important for NEET Chemistry?
Yes. Almost every year NEET asks one direct or match-the-column question on vitamins and their deficiency diseases from the Biomolecules chapter. It is a quick, high-scoring topic if you memorise the table.
Is scurvy caused by a fat-soluble or water-soluble vitamin?
Scurvy is caused by vitamin C, which is water-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins (B-group and C) are excreted in urine and must be taken daily, except B12 which the body can store.
Can the body store any water-soluble vitamin?
Yes, vitamin B12 is the one water-soluble vitamin that our body can store. All other water-soluble vitamins are not stored and are lost in urine, so they must come from the diet regularly.
What is the easiest way to remember these diseases for NEET?
Use one word per vitamin: C = sCurvy (bleeding gums), D = Deformed bones (rickets), B12 = Blood (pernicious anaemia), B2 = Broken lips (cheilosis), B1 = Beri-beri, B6 = convulsions.
