26.10 Biochem: Minerals Flashcards
(25 cards)
What are the major minerals?
Na+, Cl-, K+, Ca2+, P, Mg, sulphate
What are the trace minerals?
(only need miniscule amounts)
Iron, zinc, copper, maganese, fluoride, chromium, molybdenum
What is calcium important for? What can deficiency lead to?
For many cellular processes
Deficiency can led to rickets, poor blood clotting and osteoporosis
What is malignant hyperthermia?
What can trigger it? What prevents it?
Uncontrolled oxidative metabolism (muscle releases Ca2+ and becomes uncontrolled ATPase)
Can be triggered by general anaesthesia (genetic susceptibility)
-Dantrolene prevents
What is phosphorus needed for? What state is it present in?
Needed for life, esp. bones and phospholipids. Present as P2O5, inorganic phosphate
What can a phosphorus deficiency be caused by?
What are symptoms of hypophosphatemia? Hyper?
Malnutrition (and refeeding), failure to absorb, excessive excretion
Hypo: Lack of ATP so muscle and neurological dysfunction
Hyper: diarrhoea and calcification
What are symptoms of potassium deficiency and excess?
Deficiency: arrhythmia, muscular weakness, glucose intolerance
Excess: muscular weakness, vomiting, heart stops (if into vein)
What is sulphur needed for? Random fact about perms? Do deficiencies occur?
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
What are signs of sodium deficiency and excess?
Deficiency: muscle cramps, mental apathy, loss of appetite
Excess: oedema, acute hypertension
What occurs with chloride deficiency/excess?
Deficiency doesn’t occur normally
Excess: emetic (sometimes use NaCl to induce vomiting)
What is magnesium important for?
What are symptoms of deficiency or excess?
Bone mineralisation, enzyme and heart function
Deficiency: weakness, confusion, convulsions, growth failure
Excess: (only from non-food sources), diarrhea, alkalosis, dehydration
What are epsom salts? What can they be used for?
MgSO4
Used as a laxative (or for baths)
What are iron deficiency and excess symptoms?
Deficiency: anaemia, impaired cognition/immunity, pica
Toxicity: haemochromatosis (bronze skin, hepatic cirrhosis, DM)
What is dietary iron mostly? What is absorbed?
Fe3+,
Fe2+ is absorbed (Vitamin C is a reducing agent)
How much iron is in the body? What is the turnover?
2-4g in body, turnover is 2-4mg
What is hereditarty haemochromtosis due to? How can we treat it?
Defects in iron carrying and storing proteins (HFe) leads to iron accumulation
We can donate blood to control it
What is zinc important for?
What occurs in zinc deficiency?
What do we find zinc in?
Enzymes, insulin, sperm production and foetal development
Growth retardation if deficient
Oysters
What is copper needed for?
For absorption and use of iron–>Hb
Enzymes
What do Menke’s and Wilson’s disease result in?
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)
What does manganese do?
Splits oxygen from water to initiate photosynthesis
Where can a selenium deficiency occur? What is it essential for?
In North China-Siberia (depends on soil content)
Needed for glutathione peroxidase action
Where do we find chromium? What is it needed for?
Meats (liver), whole grains and Brewer’s yeast
Enhances insulin action and improves glucose tolerance
What does molybdenum do?
Where is it found?
Cofactor for several enzymes
Leafy green vegetables, legumes, cereals, nuts
What do we need cobalt for?
Cobalt in Vit B12 (really need the vit B12)
