Minerals

By Emma and Lizzie

What are minerals

Minerals are elements that the human need for two general functions – building and regulating. These functions affect the skeleton and soft tissue. Minerals help your body’s heartbeat, prevent blood clots, control your body fluids, nerve response, and the flow of oxygen from the lungs to your tissue. Minerals also help your short term memory.

Five main functions of minerals are:

• Catalysts for many biological reactions within the body (function)
• muscle response
• the transmission of messages through the nervous system
• the production of hormones
• digestion, and the utilization of nutrients in foods

Macroelements are elements that our bodies need in large amounts. Some examples of minerals are calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, chlorine, and sulphur.

Minerals are also a trace or trace elements. Trace elements are elements that our body needs in small amounts. Some examples are iron, zinc, manganese, copper, iodine, cobalt, nickel, fluorine, vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, selenium, tin, and silicon.