Man and the Major Mineral Elements

Abstract

Minerals form an essential part of all living matter, and more than thirty of them have been incorporated into animal bodies, including the body of man. Some have known functions, others not, and their presence may be only fortuitous. Sometimes the same element has been used to fulfil many functions, sometimes the same function is served by two or more elements. Some are present in the adult human body to the tune of hundreds of grams, others are there in the merest traces. We are concerned with the major elements, which include the electrolytes, sodium, potassium, and chloride, and the bone minerals calcium, phosphorus and also magnesium. Table 1 shows the approximate amounts of these elements in the body of a man. Calcium is the most plentiful, followed by phosphorus. There is more potassium than sodium on a weight basis, but more sodium than potassium in molar terms.