Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid, or simply ascorbate (the anion of ascorbic acid) is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. Vitamin C refers to a number of vitamers having vitamin C activity in animals, including ascorbic acid and its salts, and in some oxidized forms of the molecule as dehydroascorbic acid.
All species which does not synthesize ascorbate require it in the diet. A deficiency of this vitamin causes the disease scurvy in humans.