What is the vitamin from which tretinoin is derived?

What is the vitamin from which tretinoin is derived?

• A. Vitamin A
• B. Vitamin B
• C. Vitamin C
• D. Vitamin D

Answer: (A)

Tretinoin is a retinoid—the active form of vitamin A. Vitamin A (retinol) is metabolized in the body first to retinal and then to retinoic acid, and tretinoin is essentially all-trans-retinoic acid. This retinoic acid form binds receptors in skin cells to regulate gene expression, promoting cell turnover and collagen remodeling. Because it’s derived from this vitamin, the correct answer is vitamin A. Other vitamins don’t convert into retinoic acid or provide the same signaling effects in the skin.

Tretinoin is a retinoid—the active form of vitamin A. Vitamin A (retinol) is metabolized in the body first to retinal and then to retinoic acid, and tretinoin is essentially all-trans-retinoic acid. This retinoic acid form binds receptors in skin cells to regulate gene expression, promoting cell turnover and collagen remodeling. Because it’s derived from this vitamin, the correct answer is vitamin A. Other vitamins don’t convert into retinoic acid or provide the same signaling effects in the skin.