26.10 Biochem: Minerals

Question 1

What are the major minerals?

Answer 1

Na+, Cl-, K+, Ca2+, P, Mg, sulphate

Question 2

What are the trace minerals?

Answer 2

(only need miniscule amounts)

Iron, zinc, copper, maganese, fluoride, chromium, molybdenum

Question 3

What is calcium important for? What can deficiency lead to?

Answer 3

For many cellular processes

Deficiency can led to rickets, poor blood clotting and osteoporosis

Question 4

What is malignant hyperthermia?

What can trigger it? What prevents it?

Answer 4

Uncontrolled oxidative metabolism (muscle releases Ca2+ and becomes uncontrolled ATPase)

Can be triggered by general anaesthesia (genetic susceptibility)
-Dantrolene prevents

Question 5

What is phosphorus needed for? What state is it present in?

Answer 5

Needed for life, esp. bones and phospholipids. Present as P2O5, inorganic phosphate

Question 6

What can a phosphorus deficiency be caused by?

What are symptoms of hypophosphatemia? Hyper?

Answer 6

Malnutrition (and refeeding), failure to absorb, excessive excretion

Hypo: Lack of ATP so muscle and neurological dysfunction
Hyper: diarrhoea and calcification

Question 7

What are symptoms of potassium deficiency and excess?

Answer 7

Deficiency: arrhythmia, muscular weakness, glucose intolerance

Excess: muscular weakness, vomiting, heart stops (if into vein)

Question 8

What is sulphur needed for? Random fact about perms? Do deficiencies occur?

Answer 8

Needed for keratin in skin/hair/nails etc.

(perm breaks remakes disulphide bonds-thioglycolic acid is a reducing agent)

Deficiency do not occur if PRO in diet

Question 9

What are signs of sodium deficiency and excess?

Answer 9

Deficiency: muscle cramps, mental apathy, loss of appetite

Excess: oedema, acute hypertension

Question 10

What occurs with chloride deficiency/excess?

Answer 10

Deficiency doesn’t occur normally

Excess: emetic (sometimes use NaCl to induce vomiting)

Question 11

What is magnesium important for?

What are symptoms of deficiency or excess?

Answer 11

Bone mineralisation, enzyme and heart function

Deficiency: weakness, confusion, convulsions, growth failure

Excess: (only from non-food sources), diarrhea, alkalosis, dehydration

Question 12

What are epsom salts? What can they be used for?

Answer 12

MgSO4

Used as a laxative (or for baths)

Question 13

What are iron deficiency and excess symptoms?

Answer 13

Deficiency: anaemia, impaired cognition/immunity, pica

Toxicity: haemochromatosis (bronze skin, hepatic cirrhosis, DM)

Question 14

What is dietary iron mostly? What is absorbed?

Answer 14

Fe3+,

Fe2+ is absorbed (Vitamin C is a reducing agent)

Question 15

How much iron is in the body? What is the turnover?

Answer 15

2-4g in body, turnover is 2-4mg

Question 16

What is hereditarty haemochromtosis due to? How can we treat it?

Answer 16

Defects in iron carrying and storing proteins (HFe) leads to iron accumulation

We can donate blood to control it

Question 17

What is zinc important for?

What occurs in zinc deficiency?

What do we find zinc in?

Answer 17

Enzymes, insulin, sperm production and foetal development

Growth retardation if deficient

Oysters

Question 18

What is copper needed for?

Answer 18

For absorption and use of iron–>Hb

Enzymes

Question 19

What do Menke’s and Wilson’s disease result in?

Answer 19

Menke’s: ATP7A mutation, copper deficiency. Hair sparseness and kinkiness (defective keratinisation)

Wilson’s: Overactivity of ATP7A, high serum copper and toxicity (see ring around periphery of cornea)

Question 20

What does manganese do?

Answer 20

Splits oxygen from water to initiate photosynthesis

Question 21

Where can a selenium deficiency occur? What is it essential for?

Answer 21

In North China-Siberia (depends on soil content)

Needed for glutathione peroxidase action

Question 22

Where do we find chromium? What is it needed for?

Answer 22

Meats (liver), whole grains and Brewer’s yeast

Enhances insulin action and improves glucose tolerance

Question 23

What does molybdenum do?

Where is it found?

Answer 23

Cofactor for several enzymes

Leafy green vegetables, legumes, cereals, nuts

Question 24

What do we need cobalt for?

Answer 24

Cobalt in Vit B12 (really need the vit B12)

Question 25

What is fluoride important for?

Answer 25

Health of bones and teeth