What are vitamins?

ok. they say vitamins and minerals. this means that vitamins are not a minerals, sence they are stating two different things, right?
this leaves me to beleive that vitamins are organic. if the are organic and they reside in plants or animals, but they are neather of these this leads me to believe that they are orginisms. so... are vitamins, orginisms? if so that means they are living creatures. so vitamins are a type of living creature? are veagans (not insulting them just curious) aloude to eat them? or am i just confused?

what are vitamins?

to the first two answers (all i see thus far):

that still doesn't tell me WHAT they are.
am i right?

Vitamins and minerals are substances that are found in foods we eat. Your body needs them to work properly, so you grow and develop just like you should. When it comes to vitamins, each one has a special role to play. For example:

Vitamin D in milk helps your bones.
Vitamin A in carrots helps you see at night.
Vitamin C in oranges helps your body heal if you get a cut.
B vitamins in leafy green vegetables help your body make protein and energy.
Vitamins Hang Out in Water and Fat
There are two types of vitamins: fat soluble and water soluble. When you eat foods that contain fat-soluble vitamins, the vitamins are stored in the fat tissues in your body and in your liver. They go and wait around in your body fat until your body needs them.

Fat-soluble vitamins are happy to stay stored in your body for awhile - some stay for a few days, some for up to 6 months! Then, when it's time for them to be used, special carriers in your body take them to where they're needed. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are all fat-soluble vitamins.

Water-soluble vitamins are different. When you eat foods that have water-soluble vitamins, the vitamins don't get stored as much in your body. Instead, they travel through your bloodstream. And whatever your body doesn't use comes out when you urinate.

So these kinds of vitamins need to be replaced often because they don't like to stick around! This crowd of vitamins includes vitamin C and the big group of B vitamins - B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), niacin, B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid, B12 (cobalamine), biotin, and pantothenic acid.

Vitamins Feed Your Needs
Your body is one powerful machine, capable of doing all sorts of things by itself. But one thing it can't do is make vitamins. That's where food comes in. Your body is able to get the vitamins it needs from the foods you eat because different foods contain different vitamins. Though some kids take a daily vitamin, most kids don't need one if they're eating healthy foods.
here is a great site to get vitamins cheap

http://www.mynsp.com/daily_vitamins_mine...

Vitamins are things that will burn a hole in your pocket.

The word" vitamin" is a relatively new term. The word first appeared in dictionaries in 1912 and was coined to describe the organic substances in food essential for most chemical processes in the body. Before vitamins were discovered, doctors recommended food itself: carrots (rich in vitamin A) to maintain vision, citrus fruit (high in vitamin C) to prevent scurvy, and whole grains and legumes (abundant in vitamin B1) to ward off beriberi.

Vitamins are organic molecules that are necessary for normal metabolism in animals, but either are not synthesized in the body or are synthesized in inadequate quantities. Consequently, vitamins must be obtained from the diet. Most vitamins function as coenzymes or cofactors. Deficiency states are recognized for all vitamins, and in many cases, excessive intake also leads to disease.

for more, visit...http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/p...

vitamins come from plants and animals and are organic. minerals are non-organic (like Iron,)

you are confused.