trace element
{{Short description|Element of low concentration}}
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A trace element is a chemical element of a minute quantity, a trace amount, especially used in referring to a micronutrient,{{Cite journal|last1=Bhattacharya|first1=Preeti Tomar|last2=Misra|first2=Satya Ranjan|last3=Hussain|first3=Mohsina|date=2016-06-28|title=Nutritional Aspects of Essential Trace Elements in Oral Health and Disease: An Extensive Review|journal=Scientifica|volume=2016|pages=1–12|doi=10.1155/2016/5464373|pmid=27433374|pmc=4940574|language=en|doi-access=free}}{{cite web |title=Definition of Trace element |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trace%20element |website=www.merriam-webster.com |access-date=30 June 2023 |language=en}} but is also used to refer to minor elements in the composition of a rock, or other chemical substance.
In nutrition, trace elements are classified into two groups: essential trace elements, and non-essential trace elements. Essential trace elements are needed for many physiological and biochemical processes in both plants and animals. Not only do trace elements play a role in biological processes but they also serve as catalysts to engage in redox – oxidation and reduction mechanisms.{{cite web|title=What are Trace Elements ?|url=http://www.med.or.jp/english/pdf/2004_08/351_358.pdf|access-date=2020-12-06|archive-date=2023-02-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218103949/https://www.med.or.jp/english/pdf/2004_08/351_358.pdf|url-status=dead}} Trace elements of some heavy metals have a biological role as essential micronutrients.
Types
{{Main|Mineral (nutrient)}}
The two types of trace element in biochemistry are classed as essential or non-essential.
=Essential trace elements=
An essential trace element is a dietary element, a mineral that is only needed in minute quantities for the proper growth, development, and physiology of the organism.{{cite book |last1=Bowen |first1=Humphrey John Moule |author-link1=H. J. M. Bowen |title=Trace elements in biochemistry |date=1966 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=9780121209506 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AH2T3X0enHkC}} The essential trace elements are those that are required to perform vital metabolic activities in organisms.{{cite journal |last1=Soto-Jiménez |first1=Martin |title=Trace element trophic transfer in aquatic food webs |journal=Hidrobiológica |date=December 2011 |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=239–248 |issn=0188-8897 |url=http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0188-88972011000300003 |access-date=5 November 2018}} Essential trace elements in human nutrition, and other animals include iron (Fe) (hemoglobin), copper (Cu) (respiratory pigments), cobalt (Co) (Vitamin B12), iodine (I), manganese (Mn), chlorine (Cl), molybdenum (Mo), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) (enzymes).{{Cite book|title=Hole's Human Anatomy Fourteenth Edition|last=Shier, Butler, Lewis|first=David, Jackie, Ricki|publisher=McGraw Hill Education|year=2016|isbn=978-0-07-802429-0|location=New York|pages=59}} Although they are essential, they become toxic at high concentrations.{{cite journal |vauthors=Jomova K, Makova M, Alomar SY, Alwasel SH, Nepovimova E, Kuca K, Rhodes CJ, Valko M |title=Essential metals in health and disease |journal=Chem Biol Interact |volume=367 |issue= |pages=110173 |date=November 2022 |pmid=36152810 |doi=10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110173 |url=|doi-access=free |bibcode=2022CBI...36710173J }}
=Non-essential trace elements=
Non-essential trace elements include silver (Ag), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb). They have no known biological function in mammals, with toxic effects even at low concentration.
The structural components of cells and tissues that are required in the diet in gram quantities daily are known as bulk elements.{{Cite web |title=Essential Elements for Life |url=https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_general-chemistry-principles-patterns-and-applications-v1.0/s05-08-essential-elements-for-life.html |access-date=2023-02-13 |website=saylordotorg.github.io}}
See also
References
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