chapter 8: Minerals Flashcards
(117 cards)
1
Q
defining features of minerals
A
they are indestructible
they come from the earth, we cannot create them in a lab
no living organism can synthesize them
2
Q
how many many minerals (and which types) do we require in our diet?
A
7 major minerals
8 trace minerals
25% if the elements found on earth are required by the human bidy
–> the bulk of these ere minerals
3
Q
how much minerals do we require per day of each type?
A
Major minerals: over 100mg per day
Trace minerals: less than 100 mg per day
–> this does nit mean they are not important, they are just less abundant
4
Q
which minerals combine to form our skeleton’
A
calcium and phosphorus
5
Q
the most abundant trace mineral
A
Iron
6
Q
intracellular fluid
A
fluid within cells
usually high in potassium and phosphate
accounts for approximately two thirds of the body’s water
7
Q
interstitial fluid
A
fluid between the cells (intercellular)
usually high in sodium and chloride
large component of intracellular fluid
8
Q
intravascular fluid
A
located within the cardiovascular system or lymphatic system
9
Q
our principle source of minerals
A
food
10
Q
what does “hard water” contain?
A
calcium and magnesium
the more minerals there are in water, the “harder it is”
–> can smell and taste unpleasant
11
Q
what does “soft water” contain?
A
it is treated with sodium or potassium
12
Q
downside to soft water
A
being high in sodium, can increase hypertension
–> hard water could reduce it
13
Q
the final source of minerals
A
dietary supplemtens
–> it is easy to consume a toxic amount
14
Q
what does the bio availability of minerals depend on?
A
our physiological needs
–> depends on age, gender, diet, and pregnancy status
the source of the minerals is also important
–> for some, it is more bio available in animal based foods, while other in plants
the combination of the foods we ate can affect the bioavailability of our minerals
the presence of other minerals can affect mineral bioavailability
–> the can often compete with each other for absorption
15
Q
binding factors and minerals
A
the bind minerals together
–> it prevents their absorption
16
Q
the most common mineral element in the body
A
calcium
17
Q
proportion of calcium found in bones and teeth
A
more than 99%
18
Q
what does calcium do?
A
maintains the structural integrity of bones
–> calcium in bones acts as a reservoirs for when blood calcium levels drop
19
Q
what do neurons rely on to be able to communicate with other neurons?
A
they rely on blood calcium
–> found in extracellular fluid compartments in ionic form
–> this ionic form is blood calcium
20
Q
synaptic cleft
A
the space between the presynaptic and postsynaptic cells
21
Q
how is blood calcium crucial for neuron communication?
A
- electric signals open protein channels for calcium to flood into the presynaptic neuron
- once inside, it allows the neurotransmitters to spill into the synaptic cleft
–> without calcium, the neurotransmitters are not released
- an electrical signal is generated and it runs down to the next neuron
22
Q
what are convulsions a sign of?
A
a sign of depleted blood calcium levels
23
Q
osteoclasts cells
A
the specialized cells in bones that break down bone tissue to release calcium
24
Q
osteoblasts cells
A
the specialized bone cells that build bone tissue
25
how does bone calcium leave bones to go to blood calcium when the latter's levels drop'
bone is demineralized to liberate calcium into blood
26
who build bones and have very active osteoblasts cells?
children
27
who simply repair damage to existing bones?
adults
--> as we age, the activity of osteoblasts cells declines
28
why do we lose bones when we age?
as we age, the activity of osteoblasts (building of bones) cells declines
osteoclasts (degrading of bone tissue) cells still function properly tho
29
what maintains calcium homeostasis? how?
the thyroid and parathyroid glands
--> they regulate the activity of osteoclasts cells and osteoblasts cells
30
anatomy of a thyroid gland
is is butterfly shaped
wraps itself around the trachea
it is intimately associated with blood vessels
the parathyroid glands (4 of them) are behind it
31
role the parathyroid glands with the thyroid gland?
they synthesize the hormones released by the thyroid gland into the blood
32
calcium homeostasis
equal levels of osteoclasts cells and osteoblasts cells activity
33
the process of stabilizing the falling blood calcium levels
1. parathyroid glands secrete PTH
2. PTH stimulates activation of vitamin D in kidneys
3. the PTH and Vitamin D work together to decrease the amount of urine excreted in urine
4. Vitamin D travels to small intestine and increases the bioavailability of calcium
--> this makes the blood calcium levels rise immediately
5. the PTH and Vitamin D work together to stimulate osteoclasts to break down bone
34
rising calcium levels are only a concern for whom?
for children
35
why is the best source of calcium dairy?
it has the highest amount of calcium per serving and relatively high bioavailability
a single serving of milk provides 96 mg of calcium
36
the faith of calcium is determined by what?
determined by the work of the parathyroid glands
--> the orchestrate how much is absorbed, circulated, deposited, and eliminated
37
which other nutrient can alter and mess up calcium homeostasis?
how?
sodium
excess salt intakes forces the kidneys to increase urine production in an effort to eliminate excess sodium
--> this makes us lose calcium as well
38
peak bone mass
the highest attainable bone density achieved in the first 3 decades of an individual's life
the period in our life in which we achieved the greatest amount of bone
39
regardless of gender, when does bone density begin to drop?
after the age of 30
40
why do women lose even more bone mass after menopause?
because estrogen is a hormone that decreases osteoclast activity
after menopause, there is no more estrogen, which increases even more the osteoclast activity
41
osteoporosis
a disease in which bones become fragile
there can be easy fractures too
shrinking in height is a clear sign
--> happens to a collapse of the vertebrae (which can cause extreme pain)
happens mostly of woman
42
best way to minimize the risk of osteoporosis
1. maximize peak bone mass in early adulthood
2. resistance exercise well into older age
3. meet the RDA for calcium
--> helps maintain blood calcium levels and keep bones dense
after decades of low calcium intake, osteoporosis becomes more likely
43
how much of phosphorus is stored in bones (proportionally)?
where is the rest found?
85% stored in bones
the remaining 15% is found in the intracellular fluid compartment
44
is it easy to get phosphorus deficient? why?
no bruv
because it is in nearly everything we eat
45
what is the link between phosphorus and tooth decay.?
too much of an increase in phosphorus intake (with soft drinks for example) and lack of calcium intake will cause teeth to decay
46
proportion of magnesium found in bones?
where is the rest found?
more than 50%
the rest is found inside of cells
47
role of magnesium
influences the formation of hydroxyapatite crystals
is also an important intracellular ion
--> is found inside of cells
48
what is magnesium in plants associated with?
in the green pigment chlorophyll
--> any deep green leafy vegetable is a good source of magnesium
--> legumes too
49
where does our body get its magnesium we fail to meet our required RDA for this mineral or we just don't take enough?
our body will take it from our bones
50
what is the mix (compound) that makes table salt?
where can both these minerals be found in our body?
sodium chloride
in the extracellular fluid compartments
51
what is sodium crucial for?
crucial in fluid balance and nerve impulse transmission
52
importance of chloride in our body
also plays a role in the fluid balance
more importantly, become part of the stomach's hydrochloric acid
53
how do we get table salt?
mined from inland salt deposits from old seas
cheap
54
how do we get fleur de sel?
harvested from artificial salt ponds by evaporation
more expense
55
where is most sodium in the body found?
in the intravascular and interstitial compartments
56
role of sodium in neuron transmission?
after calcium did its whole thang, sodium binds to the electrons once they reach the post synaptic cell
unlike calcium (electrical stimulus), this is a chemical stimulus
57
the more sodium we consume, the more or less extracellular volume compartment?
what does it do if we have too much?
the more volume
the enlarged extracellular volume compartment presses additional pressure on our arteries
--> with time, these arteries stiffen
--> can make the heart get beef as hell, but we don't want that because it can lead to heart failure
high sodium is associated with hypertension
58
how are children increasingly affected with hypertension
hypertension
because most people exceed the UL for sodium by several hundred mg every day
59
hypertension
higher than normal blood pressure
60
primary hypertension
hypertension that develops without an identifiable cause
61
secondary hypertension
hypertension that is caused by a specific disorder such as kidney disease
62
the tolerable UL for sodium
2,300 mg per day
63
the AI (adequate intake) for sodium
1,500 mg per day
64
the treatment to reduce hypertension?
lowering sodium intake
also, increasing potassium intake with foods naturally containing it
65
where do we find 95% of the body's potassium?
inside cells
66
why do processed foods no longer have potassium?
because of their processing
67
what is potassium intake associated with?
associated with lowering blood pressure
68
the most abundant trace mineral in the body
iron
69
proportion of iron in red blood cells
over 60%
70
how many red blood cells do we produce every day
2 billion every day
71
how many hemoglobin molecules in one red blood cell
280,000,000
72
hemoglobin and iron
each hemoglobin molecule is studded with four heme compounds that bind with iron
--> iron binds to the oxygen that we inhale
73
what happens if we don't have Iron?
without Iron, oxygen has nowhere to bind
--> too little Iron is deadly
74
if too little Iron is deadly, what about too much iron?
just as deadly
75
leading cause of accidental poisoning in young children?
over ingestion of iron
76
why is too much iron just as deadly as too little?
because in either way, it will enter the blood capillaries
if too little is consumed, ferritin will almost not be produced at all, which will let iron escape in the blood capillaries
If we consume too much, more ferritin will be produced to bind to the iron, but since epithelial cells only have a lifespan of 3 days, they will die and will carry Iron with them in the binded ferritin and iron to be excreted (rendering it useless)
77
ferritin
the iron storage protein
binds to iron
78
what is the proportion of Iron our body can absorb (depending of our Iron status)
between 5% and 40%
79
what does the bioavailability of iron depend on?
on our body's physiological need for it
also depends on the source of Iron
80
where do we get our heme iron?
why they contain heme?
from animal flesh
because animals got blood, so they got heme
81
where do we get our non-heme iron?
why do they not contain heme?
plants
because plants don't have blood
--> contain compounds that reduce the bioavailability of iron
82
proportion of iron intake coming from plants
90%
83
the most common nutrient deficiency
iron deficiency
84
iron-deficient anemia
sever depletion of iron stores that results in a low hemoglobin concentration
--> red blood cells are small and paler
one has to work harder to circulate oxygen poor blood throughout the body
--> the heart is overworked
--> over time, the heart enlarges and gets beef and eventually leads to heart failure
85
high risk groups for iron deficiency
women (with periods)
pregnant women
growing infants
children
teens
86
how much iron do we lose when donating 0.5L of blood?
we lose 2.5 mg of iron
--> it takes the body several months to replace the iron
87
where do almost all iodine end up upon absorption?
in the thyroid gland
88
iodine's function
synthesis of thyroid hormones
89
role of thyroid hormones
regulate body temperature and metabolism
90
the world's major source of iodine
the ocean
iodine is also found in rich supply in soils that were once submerged in ancient seas
91
Goiter
a deficiency cause by a deficiency in iodine
enlarged thyroid gland
--> hoping to catch iodine that is simply not there
92
cretinism
a deficiency cause by a deficiency in iodine
impaired fetal development
stunted growth
physical and mental abnormalities
93
the leading cause of mental impairment globally
Iodine deficiency
94
amount of people suffering from Iodine deficiency
2 billion
95
which contains iodine
table salt or fleur de sel
table salt
96
the hormone that allows glucose to enter into cells
insulin
97
what does chromium do
enhances the ability of insulin to take in glucose into our cells
98
importance of zinc
it does it all (it is a versatile mineral):
energy metabolism
amino acid metabolism
DNA metabolism
antioxidant function
heme synthesis
growth and development
99
how many enzymes require zinc?
mare than 100
100
metalloenzymes
enzymes that bond to minerals
they contain one or more minerals as part of their structure
--> these minerals are called cofactors
101
effects of a zinc deficiency
severe growth and development impairment
increases risk of infection
102
three main minerals that work as anti oxioxidants
zinc
--> decreases copper absorption
copper
selenium (most powerful one)
103
selenium
a powerful antioxidant
can protect against some form of cancer
104
what can our intake of selenium be dependent on?
it can depend on our geographical location, which influences soil content of selenium
105
increasing our intake of brazil nuts will increase which mineral intake?
selenium
106
fluoride
makes teeth far more resistant to decay
is present in water (but varies in quantity depending where we are)
107
proportion of children with at least one dental carie
60%
108
fluorosis
it messes up teeth
effect of fluoride toxicity
109
minerals affecting energy metabolism
iodine
zinc
chromium
iron
110
minerals affecting blood health
zinc
iron
calcium
111
minerals affecting growth and development
zinc
calcium
iodine
112
minerals affecting amino acid metabolism
zinc
113
minerals being anti oxidants
zinc
copper
selenium
114
minerals affecting DNA metabolism
zinc
115
minerals affecting bone health
calcium
phosphorus
magnesium
fluoride
116
minerals affecting fluid balance
sodium
potassium
magnesium
117
minerals affecting nerve impulse transmission
calcium
sodium
potassium
