Vitamin A was discovered in the early 20th century when it was found that cooked liver or butterfat could cure night blindness. It is fat soluble and plays important roles in vision, epithelial cell maintenance, bone remodeling, and reproduction. Vitamin A deficiency can cause xerophthalmia, an abnormal dryness of the eyes, and keratomalacia, a softening of the cornea that can lead to blindness. Recommended dietary allowances are set to prevent deficiency symptoms.