Minerals Flashcards
What two things make minerals different from vitamins, carbs, and proteins?
- they are not organic compounds, but elemental atoms or ions
- they are not destroyed by heat, light, acidity, or alkalinity
What makes minerals similar to vitamins?
both are micronutrients, only needed in small amounts
What are 4 things minerals are essential for?
- coafactors in enzymes
- components of body fluids (electrolytes)
- sites for binding oxygen (transport)
- structural component of non-enzymatic macromolecules
True or False? Balance of ions in proper ratio is often of greater importance than specific mineral concentration.
True
Specific _____ proteins are required for some mineral absorption.
carrier
What 7 factors effect the bioavailability of minerals?
- fiber
- phytate
- polyphenols
- oxalate
- competition from other minerals
- acidity of the intestinal environment
- person’s need
True or False?
Mineral deficiencies are usually secondary causes.
True
True or False? Trace elements deficiencies are due mainly to prominence of refined processed foods in diet.
True.
Reason: elements tend to concentrate in germ of seeds/grains which are removed when food is processed
What are macrominerals?
minerals required in amounts greater than 100mg/dL
What macromineral is a constituent of bone/teeth?
calcium
What macromineral effect activity of the heart, nerves, and muscles (membrane excitability, muscle contraction)?
calcium
What macromineral effects blood clotting mechanisms?
calcium
What macromineral regulates cell funcion: mediate action of hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters via calmodulin?
calcium
In what 4 ways does calcium regulate balance in the body?
- bone metabolism = deposition/resorption
- kidney = resorption of Ca
- parathyroid hormones (PTH released due to decreased plasma Ca)
- dietary factors promoting absorption
How is vitamin D involved with calcium?
vitamin D is required for synthesis of Ca-binding protein
Decreased blood calcium is ____.
tetany
What are the 4 causes of low blood calcium?
- vitamin D deficiency
- hypoparathyroidism
- renal insufficiency (increased renal excretion)
- decreased dietary content
What are some diseases that can be caused by calcium deficiency?
- Rickets
- Osteomalacia
- Osteoporosis
- Paget’s disease
- enamel hypoplasia
What are the 4 functions of phosphate?
- structure of bones
- intermediary metabolism
- major intracellular buffer systems
- membrane structure
What are the 6 regulatory factors of phosphate?
- renal function
- hormones (PTH):
- hyperparathyroidism (increased clearance of phosphate
- hypoparathyroidism (decrease renal clearance)
- vitamin D
- intestinal absorption
What are two phosphate deficiency diseases?
rickets and osteomalacia
________ is found in ICF in 10 times the amount of that in ECF.
Magnesium
What are the functions of magnesium?
- structure of bones and teeth
- enzyme activator (all rxns involving ATP)
- neuromuscular transmission and activity
Magensium and _________ compete in absorption, membrane transport, and crystallization of bone.
calcium
True or False?
Renal failure causes increased blood serum levels of Magnesium.
True
True or False? Deficiency of magnesium leads to degenerative changes in ameloblasts/odontoblasts.
True
What macromineral is a major cation of ECF?
sodium
What are the 4 functions of sodium?
- acid-base equilibirum
- fluid osmolarity (osmotic pressure/blood pressure)
- normal irritability of nerves/muscles
- glucose absorption across intestinal membrane
True or False? Increased sodium can cause hyperactive adrenal cortex.
True
True or False? Potassium is a major cation of ICF.
True
What are the 5 functions of potassium?
- normal muscular/neuromuscular activity (cardiac muscle)
- fluid osmolarity
- energy dependent Na+/K+ ATPase pump
- acid-base equilibrium
- enzyme activity (pyruvate kinase)
Increases blood potassium leads to ______.
hyperkalemia
Decreases in blood K leads to ______.
hypokalemia (rare)
What are the four functions of sulfur?
- protein structure
- enzyme activity
- transmethylation reactions/PAPS
- detoxication mechanism
What are the 4 functions of chloride?
- water balance
- elcetrolyte balance
- acid-base equilibrium
- digestive processes
What are the 5 functions of micromineral fluoride?
- improved/enlarged crystal structure of bone/enamel: fluoroapetite
- decreased bone resorption
- decreased solubility of bone/enamel
- inhibit glycolyticc activity of certain bacterial enzymes
What are the major micromineral functions of iron?
- oxygen transport
- brain function
- immune function
- enzyme cofactor or constituent
Where is iron located?
mucosal cells of stomach/dudodenum
What type of iron is more soluble?
ferrous iron
What does iron deficiency lead to?
hypochromic microcytic anemia
90% of oxygen used by the body is dependent on what micromineral?
copper
What are the two functions of copper?
- oxidase enzymes
- hemoglobin/myelin synthesis
Decreased copper leads to what disease?
Wilson’s disease
Where is copper located?
liver and brain
True or False? Hypochromic microcytic anemia of infants is a result of copper deficiency.
True
What is the function of iodine?
thyroid gland activity via iodination of tyrosine to form T3/T4
What are the three actions of iodine?
- regulation of metabolic rate (BMR)
- anabolic effect in moderate concentrations
- increase intestinal absorption of glucose
What are the 2 functions of selenium?
- gluthione peroxidase component
- oral involvement
What is the function of molybdenum?
oxidase enzymes (FAD flavoprotein)
What are the 3 functions of manganese?
- enzyme activator
- glycoprotein/proteoglycan synthesis
- gamma-carboxylation of glutamic acid
What is the function of cobalt?
constituent of vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
What are the two functions of zinc?
- enzyme activator
- insulin component
What are three effects of zinc deficiency?
- growth failure
- poor wound healing
- loss of taste and smell
True or False? Strontium has similar properties to calcium.
True
True or False? 99% of total body lead is in the skeleton, the remainder is in rbc, liver, and kidneys.
True
What is the function of lead?
hematopoietic system
What is the function of chromium?
prevention of glucose intolerance
What is the function of lithium?
controls manic-depressive psychosis mood swings
What is the function of aluminum?
relatively inert biologically but has molecular functions
What is the result of cadmium toxicity?
kidney damage
