Trace Elements

• Trace elements

  • Metals
  • Halogens
  • Fluoride
  • Iodine
• Essential trace elements are important for the maintenance of normal health, and tissue and organ functions
• Trace elements have specific in vivo metabolic functions that cannot be effectively performed by other similar elements
• Concentration in tissue: <1 µg/g of wet tissue and <0.01% of dry body weight
• Chromium


  Enhances insulin action: for glucose and lipid metabolism
• Chromium toxicity

  • Skin ulcers
  • Renal and Hepatic necrosis
• Cobalt


  • Hgb synthesis
  • Component of vit. B12
• Copper


  • Cellular respiration
  • Collagen synthesis
• Copper deficiency


  • Menkes' kinky hair syndrome
  • Muscle weakness
• Copper toxicity


  Interferes with absorption of iron and zinc
• Fluoride


  Prevents dental caries
• Fluoride deficiency


  Dental caries
• Iodine


  Thyroid hormone synthesis
• Iodine toxicity


  Thyrotoxicosis
• Iron deficiency

  Anemia
• Iron toxicity

  Hemachromatosis
• Selenium

  Prevents oxidative damage of lipids
• Selenium deficiency

  Keshan disease
• Zinc

  • Enzyme cofactor
  • Protein synthesis
• Zinc deficiency in adults

  Facial seborrhea
• Zinc toxicityin infants


  • Seizures
  • Irritability
  • Anemia
• Chromium Deficiency

  • Insulin resistance

  • Impaired glucose tolerance (type 2 DM)

  • Hyperlipidemia
• Cobalt deficiency

  • Anemia
  • Growth depression
• Cobalt toxicity


  • Heart failure

  • Hypothyroidism
• Iodine deficiency


  • Goiter

  • Cretinism

  • Myxedema
• Iron


  • Oxygen transport

  • Component of hgb
• Manganese deficiency


  skeletal defects
• manganese toxicity


  parkinson's disease, psychiatric disorder
• Manganese


  bone and connective tissue functions
• molybdenum


  DNA metabolism
• Molybdenum deficiency


  • growth depression

  • cretinism

  • goiter
• molybdenum toxicity

  • anemia

  • thyrotoxicosis
• selenium toxicity


  • liver failure

  • hair and nail loss
• Zinc deficiency

  • Acrodermatitis

  • Enterophatica

  • Growth retardation

  • Infertility

  • Immune deficiency

  • Delayed wound healing

  • Osteoporosis
• Zinc toxicity in infants

  • Irritability

  • Seizure

  • Anemia
• Zinc toxicity in adults

  facial seborrhea