This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Minerals

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Minerals are inorganic substances which constitute about 4% of the total body weight. They are concentrated most densely in the skeleton.

They can be divided up into:

  • those present in relatively large amounts e.g.:
    • sodium
    • potassium
    • calcium
    • magnesium
    • chlorine
    • phosphorous
    • sulphur
  • trace elements: minerals present at a concentration of less than 50mg/kg e.g. selenium
  • essential minerals essential to growth or health e.g. sodium, selenium

Minerals may interact with each other on a variety of levels:

  • as co-factors in enzymes, they modulate the substrate/product relationship of biochemical pathways
  • as ions across membranes, they contribute to:
    • the state of electrical excitability, e.g. the action potential
    • the distribution of fluid volumes between compartments
    • competitive interactions e.g. of zinc and copper for absorption
  • as common targets for regulatory compounds e.g. vitamin D's action on calcium, phosphate and magnesium

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.