what is vitamin a derived from
The Roles of Vitamin A The Roles of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is much more than just a vitamin that helps you see at night. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a role in immunity, the body's development and maintenance of major organs. Available in two sources, vitamin A is derived from animals and from plants. Vitamin A from animal sources is preformed vitamin A and is active immediately. From plant sources, it is provitamin A â including a group of carotenoids, such as beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is the most common form of provitamin A and in plant foods it must be converted in the body to the active form of vitamin A.