PHYSIOLOGICAL ROLE OF ESSENTIAL TRACE ELEMENTS

Element	Source(1)	Physiological Role	Deficiency Disease
Iron (Fe)	Iron cookware	Component of haem group in haemoglobins, cytochromes	Anaemia
Copper (Cu)			Anaemia: secondary to malnutrition, Menke’s syndrome
Iodine (I)	Iodised salt, Seafood	Component of thyroid hormone	Children: cretinism Adults: goiter, hyper-thyrodism, myxedema
Manganese (Mn)		Needed in urea formation protein metabolism, gycolysis, citric acid cycle	Unknown in humans
Cobalt (Co)	Foods of animal origin	Constituent of vitamin B₁₂, RBC formation	B₁₂ deficiency
Zinc (Zn)		Essential constituent of many enzymes, needed for normal senses of smell and taste	Hypogonadism, growth failure, impaired would healing, decrease taste and smell
Molybdnum (Mo)		Constituent of some enzymes	Secondary to parenteral nutrition
Fluroine (F)	Drinking water	Hardness of teeth	Dental caries