Vitamin D The Sunshine Vitamin Vitamin D is otherwise known as “sunshine vitamin” as it can be synthesized from sunlight by our body. Chemistry The term vitamin D refers to a family of compounds that are derived from cholesterol. There are two major forms of vitamin D: vitamin D2, found in plants and better known as ergocalciferol (or calciferol). And vitamin D3 is found in animal tissues and is often referred to as cholecalciferol. Among these vitamin D2 or calciferol and vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol are biologically important. Ergosterol and 7dehydrocholesterol act as provitamin of vitamin D. When ergosterol
