Biologically significant elements (as opposed to biologically inert elements ) are chemical elements necessary for living organisms to ensure normal life .
Elements that ensure the vital activity of an organism are classified according to various criteria - the content in the body, degree of necessity, biological role, tissue specificity, etc. [1] . According to the content in the human body and other mammals, the elements are divided into
- macronutrients (more than 0.01%);
- trace elements (from 10 −6 % to 0.01%);
- micronutrients (less than 10 −6 %) [1] [2] .
Some authors draw boundaries between these types for other concentration values [3] [4] . Sometimes micronutrients are not separated from trace elements [3] .
Content
Macro Elements
These elements form the basis of the flesh of living organisms .
Organogenic elements
A large proportion of the cell mass is 4 elements [5] (their content in the human body is indicated) [6] :
- Oxygen - 65%;
- Carbon - 18%;
- Hydrogen - 10%;
- Nitrogen - 3%.
These macronutrients are called organogenic elements [comm. 1] or macronutrients [ eng . 2] . Mostly proteins , fats , carbohydrates , nucleic acids and many other organic substances are built from them. Sometimes these four elements are denoted by the acronym CHNO , consisting of their notation in the periodic table .
Other macronutrients
Other macrocells [1] and their content in the human body [6] are listed below.
- Potassium - 0.35%
- Calcium - 2%
- Magnesium - 0.05%
- Sodium - 0.15%
- Sulfur - 0.25%
- Phosphorus - 1.1%
- Chlorine - 0.15%
Trace Elements
The term " microelements " was especially popular in the medical, biological and agricultural scientific literature in the middle of the 20th century. In particular, it became obvious for agronomists that even a sufficient number of "macrocells" in fertilizers ( NPK trinity - nitrogen , phosphorus , potassium ) does not ensure the normal development of plants.
The content of trace elements in the body is small, but they participate in biochemical processes and are necessary for living organisms. Maintaining their content in tissues at the physiological level is necessary to maintain the constancy of the internal environment ( homeostasis ) of the body.
Basic micronutrients
More than 30 trace elements are considered necessary for the life of plants , animals and humans. Among them (in alphabetical order):
- Bromine
- Iron
- Iodine
- Cobalt
- Manganese
- Copper
- Molybdenum
- Selenium
- Fluorine
- Chromium
- Zinc
The lower the concentration of an element in the body, the more difficult it is to establish its biological role, to identify the compounds in the formation of which it takes part. Among the undoubtedly important include boron , vanadium , silicon , etc.
Nutrients
All elements that are constantly present in living organisms and play a biological role, primarily C, O, H, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Na, Cl [10], are called biogenic .
Compatibility
When the body assimilates vitamins , microelements and macroelements, antagonism (negative interaction) or synergism (positive interaction) between different components is possible.
Lack of minerals in the body
The main causes of the lack of minerals:
- Improper or monotonous nutrition, poor-quality drinking water.
- Geological features of various regions of the Earth - endemic (unfavorable) areas (see. Endemic diseases ).
- Large loss of minerals due to bleeding, Crohn's disease , ulcerative colitis .
- The use of alcohol and certain drugs that bind or cause the loss of trace elements.
Use of the term “mineral” in relation to biologically significant elements
Micro and macro elements enter the body mainly with food . For their designation in English there is the term Dietary mineral .
At the end of the 20th century, Russian manufacturers of certain drugs and dietary supplements began to use the term “ mineral ” to refer to macro- and microelements. From a scientific point of view, such a use of this term is incorrect, since it means only a geological natural body with a crystalline structure. Nevertheless, the producers of the so-called. “Biological additives” began to call their products vitamin and mineral complexes, referring to mineral additives to vitamins .
See also
- Cell chemistry
- Recommended Daily Intake
- Essential Nutrients
- Biofortification
Notes
- Comments
- ↑ Sometimes organogenic elements (organogenes) are called only C , H , N , O [7] , sometimes also P and S [1] , and sometimes all elements that play a role in the life of organisms [8] .
- ↑ Sometimes proteins, fats and carbohydrates are called macronutrients [9] .
- Sources
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Skalny A.V., Rudakov I.A. Bioelements in medicine. - Onyx 21st Century, World, 2004. - S. 18-23. - 272 p. - ISBN 5-329-00930-8 .
- ↑ Ultramicroelements // Dictionary of Botanical Terms / I.A. Pipe - Kiev: Naukova Dumka, 1984.
- ↑ 1 2 Avtsyn A.P., Zhavoronkov A.A., Rish M.A., Strochkova L.S. Human microelements. - M .: Medicine, 1991 .-- S. 16-17. - 496 p. - ISBN 5-225-02128-X .
- ↑ Kidin V.V., Torshin S.P. Agrochemistry. The textbook . - Prospect, 2015 .-- 619 p. - ISBN 9785392187676 .
- ↑ Bilich G.L., Kryzhanovsky V.A. Biology. Full course: In 4 vols. - 5th edition, supplemented and revised. - Onyx, 2009 .-- S. 20. - 864 p. - ISBN 978-5-488-02311-6 .
- ↑ 1 2 Starr C., McMillan B. 2.1. Atoms and Elements // Human Biology. - 11 ed. - Cengage Learning, 2014 .-- P. 16. - 608 p. - ISBN 9781305445949 .
- ↑ Organogenic elements // Big Medical Encyclopedia / Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
- ↑ Grandfather I.I. Organogens // Ecological Encyclopedic Dictionary. - Chisinau, 1989.
- ↑ Methodical recommendations 2.3.1.2432-08. Norms of physiological needs for energy and nutrients for various groups of the population of the Russian Federation.
- ↑ Biogenic elements // Great Soviet Encyclopedia : [in 30 vol.] / Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov . - 3rd ed. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
Literature
- Ultratrace minerals. Authors: Nielsen, Forrest H. USDA, ARS Source: Modern nutrition in health and disease / editors, Maurice E. Shils ... et al .. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, c 1999., p. 283-303. Issue Date: 1999.
- Avtsyn A.P., Zhavoronkov A.A., Rish M.A., Strochkova L.S. Human microelements. - M .: Medicine, 1991 .-- S. 16. - 496 p. - ISBN 5-225-02128-X .
- Skalny A.V., Rudakov I.A. Bioelements in medicine. - Onyx 21st century, World, 2004. - S. 18-19. - 272 p. - ISBN 5-329-00930-8 .