COPY: Are You a Mineral Expert?

Minerals are chemical elements that are required as essential nutrients by organisms to perform functions necessary for life. The four major structural elements in the human body by weight (oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen) are not included in lists of major nutrient minerals. Nutrient minerals cannot be synthesized biochemically by living organisms and are obtained from soil by plants. The five major minerals in the human body are calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and magnesium. The trace elements that have a specific biochemical function in the human body are iron, chlorine, cobalt, copper, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, iodine, and selenium. Most chemical elements that are ingested by organisms are in the form of simple compounds. Most of the minerals in a human diet come from eating plants and animals or from drinking water. There is no scientific consensus on whether chromium is an essential trace element in humans. The gap between recommended daily intake and what are considered safe upper limits can be small. Minerals can be bioengineered by bacteria which act on metals to catalyze mineral dissolution and precipitation.