1.
TRACE ELEMENTS
PRESENTED BY
MR.KARTHICK J.
HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY AND
NUTRITION

2.
WHAT ARE TRACE ELEMENTS?
• TRACE ELEMENTS REFER TO ANY CHEMICAL ELEMENT THAT IS PRESENT IN
THE HUMAN BODY IN VERY SMALL AMOUNTS, USUALLY LESS THAN 0.1% BY
VOLUME.

3.
CLASSIFICATION OF TRACE ELEMENTS
1. NUTRITIONALLY ESSENTIAL
2. PROBABLY ESSENTIAL
3. POTENTIALLY TOXIC

4.
I.NUTRITIONALLY ESSENTIAL TRACE
ELEMENTS
• NUTRITIONALLY ESSENTIAL TRACE ELEMENTS ARE REQUIRED PARTS OF AN
INDIVIDUAL’S NUTRITION.
• THESE ELEMENTS CONTRIBUTE TO VITAL BODILY FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING
METABOLIC FUNCTION, TISSUE REPAIR, GROWTH, AND DEVELOPMENT
• IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT PEOPLE CONSUME THEM THROUGH THEIR DIET OR BY
USING SUPPLEMENTS BECAUSE HUMAN BODY CANNOT NATURALLY
SYNTHESIZE THESE ELEMENTS,
• EXCESS CONSUMPTION OF THESE ELEMENTS CAN HAVE POTENTIALLY TOXIC
EFFECTS.

5.
NUTRITIONALLY ESSENTIAL TRACE
ELEMENTS
• NUTRITIONALLY ESSENTIAL TRACE ELEMENTS INCLUDE IRON,
COPPER, COBALT, ZINC, SELENIUM, CHROMIUM, IODINE, AND
MOLYBDENUM.

6.
IRON
• IRON PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN TRANSPORTING OXYGEN
THROUGHOUT THE BODY THROUGH THE BLOOD.
• IRON DEFICIENCY CAN LEAD TO ANEMIA (DEFICIENCY OF
HEALTHY RED BLOOD CELLS) AND HAS ALSO BEEN LINKED TO
UPPER ALIMENTARY TRACT CANCERS.

7.
COPPER
• COPPER, THE THIRD MOST ABUNDANT TRACE ELEMENT IN THE
HUMAN BODY, WORKS WITH IRON TO FORM HEALTHY RED BLOOD
CELLS
• IT IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF MANY ENZYMES INVOLVED IN
CHEMICAL REACTIONS THROUGHOUT THE BODY
• IT ALSO PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MAINTAINING THE
STRENGTH AND HEALTH OF BLOOD VESSELS, NERVES, AND
BONES.

8.
COBALT
• COBALT CAN BE FOUND IN ORGANIC AND INORGANIC FORMS. IN THE
ORGANIC FORM IT FORMS A VITAL PART OF VITAMIN B12 (AKA
COBALAMIN) AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE FORMATION OF AMINO
ACIDS AND NEUROTRANSMITTERS.
• CONVERSELY, INORGANIC FORMS OF COBALT CAN BE TOXIC TO THE
HUMAN BODY.

9.
ZINC
• ZINC CONTRIBUTES TO MANY FUNCTIONS IN THE BODY BUT IS MOST
IMPORTANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH CELL DIVISION, CELL GROWTH,
TISSUE REPAIR, AND METABOLIC FUNCTION.
• IT ALSO AIDS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IN FIGHTING OFF VIRUSES AND
BACTERIA.

10.
SELENIUM
• SELENIUM PLAYS AN IMPORTANT METABOLIC ROLE AS AN
ANTIOXIDANT (KNOWN TO PREVENT OR REDUCE DAMAGE
CAUSED BY OXIDATION IN THE BODY).

11.
CHROMIUM
• CHROMIUM ALSO CONTRIBUTES TO METABOLIC FUNCTION, AS
IT PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN REGULATING SUGAR, FAT, AND
PROTEIN LEVELS IN THE BLOOD.

12.
IODINE
• IODINE IS A VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT WITHIN THE THYROID
HORMONES THYROXINE (T4) AND TRIIODOTHYRONINE (T3).
• THESE HORMONES ARE ESSENTIAL IN METABOLISM, GROWTH,
AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN BODY.

13.
MOLYBDENUM
• MOLYBDENUM IS REQUIRED FOR A FEW ENZYMATIC FUNCTIONS
INVOLVED IN DIGESTION AND EXCRETION.

14.
II.PROBABLY ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
• THE PROBABLY ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS INCLUDE MANGANESE,
SILICONE, NICKEL, BORON, AND VANADIUM.

15.
III.POTENTIALLY TOXIC ELEMENTS
• THE POTENTIALLY TOXIC ELEMENTS INCLUDE FLUORIDE, LEAD,
CADMIUM, MERCURY, ARSENIC, ALUMINIUM, LITHIUM, AND TIN.

16.
THANK
YOU