A patient has just been diagnosed with pernicious anemia. The patient asks the nurse^{why his body is not able to absorb vitamin B}12^{. The nurse}^responds, A) "You have too many ulcers in your stomach." B) ^{"More than likely, you were born with deficient vitamin B}12 ^stores." C) "Your stomach is not secreting a substance known as intrinsic factor, which is^{needed to absorb vitamin B}12^." D) "Your daily intake of high saturated fats is interfering with the stomach's ability to^{absorb the nutrients that it needs, especially vitamin}^B12^."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

^{Vitamin B}12 ^{is not absorbed in the absence of intrinsic factor, which is secreted by the}parietal cells of the stomach. Ulcers in the stomach do not cause pernicious anemia. This is not a congenital problem, nor does the intake of fats interfere with the secretion of intrinsic factor.

A Patient Has Just Been Diagnosed with Pernicious Anemia