Define about the micro minerals, Biology

Assignment Help:

Define about the Micro Minerals?

Micro minerals are those minerals, which comprise less than 0.01% of the total body weight and are required in concentrations of one part per million or less. Initially, these minerals were also referred to as 'trace minerals' or 'trace elements' as their concentration in tissues were not easily quantified by early analytical methods. A trace element/mineral, as you may be aware, can be defined as a chemical element present in minute quantities; especially one used by organisms and held essential to their physiology. A micro mineral or a micro nutrient, on the other hand, is an organic compound essential in minute amounts for the growth and health of an animal.

Like macro minerals, micro minerals must also be present in the body in optimal range for normal functioning. Whenever, the concentration is too low or too high, the body functions are impaired. The functions and routes of metabolism for some micro elements are well established both in animals and humans while for others, the data are available only from animal studies. They normally function as a cation (ion with a positive charge) complexed with organic ligands or chelators. Proteins are the most important chelators. Besides these, porphyrin (the ring structure present in haemoglobin) and corrins (the ring structure in vitamin BI2) are other important chelators. As components of enzymes and proteins, these minerals frequently participate in redox reactions (reactions which involve the transfer of electrons) with the metal often functioning as the electron carrier. However, minerals such as zinc and manganese along with macro elements calcium and magnesium perform non-redox functions in proteins and enzymes. Since many of the micro minerals share common mechanism for absorption, they compete with each other for absorption in the small intestine. Thus, excess of one micro element can aggravate the deficiency of another. Iron and zinc are the best known examples.


Related Discussions:- Define about the micro minerals

Why does the recombination frequency of genes vary, Why does the recombinat...

Why does the recombination frequency of genes vary with the distance between them in the chromosome? The farther the distance among the loci of two genes in a chromosome the hi

Acclimation and acclimatisation, Normal 0 false false false...

Normal 0 false false false EN-IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

What is the advantage of the double and complete circulation, How many cham...

How many chambers do the bird heart and the mammalian heart have? Concerning temperature maintenance what is the advantage of the double and complete circulation of these animals?

Radiant warmer, Radiant Warmer A radiant warmer is a device used to m...

Radiant Warmer A radiant warmer is a device used to maintain the body temperature of the newborn and thus play an essential role in influencing oxygen consumption, apnea and

Fats and lipids, Composed of C, H and O (fewer polar OH bonds than carbohyd...

Composed of C, H and O (fewer polar OH bonds than carbohydrates) Can be used at energy storage, components of cell membranes, chemical signals & thermal insulation Are

The cell cycle, what happens to the liver cell during the cell cycle

what happens to the liver cell during the cell cycle

Can you explain non-restrictive ventricular septal defect, Q. Can you expla...

Q. Can you explain Non-restrictive ventricular septal defect? In non-restrictive VSD PA pressures are elevated hence VSD gradient is low. Non-restrictive VSD is larger in s

What is the law of limiting factors, What is the law of limiting factors? H...

What is the law of limiting factors? How would the rate of photosynthesis be affected if the soil water becomes limiting? Describe.

Spermatogenesis, Spermatogenesis In multicellular organisms the repro...

Spermatogenesis In multicellular organisms the reproductive process commences with the production of gametes. The gametes are the sex cells that develop inside the gonads, th

Population parameters and regulation, Population Parameters and Regulation ...

Population Parameters and Regulation Population can be defined as a group of organisms of same species occupying a specific area at a particular time, such as all the deer or

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd