MINERAL (BIOCHEMISTRY)

MINERALS

A mineral is a naturally occurring chemical compound usually of crystalline form and abiogenic in origin. A mineral has one specific chemical composition, where as a rock can be an aggregate of different minerals and mineraloids. The study of minerals is called mineralogy

PROPERTIES OF MINERALS:

There are approximately 4000 different minerals and each of those minerals has a unique set of physical properties. These include color, streak, hardness, gravity, luster, magnetism. These physical properties are useful for identifying mineral  

TYPES OF MINERALS:

1. Native element. e.g Gold, Silver, Mercury, Graphite, Diamonds

2.Oxides. e.g corundum, hematite, spinel

3.Hydroxides. e.g Geothite, brucite

4.Sulfates. e.g Baryte, gypsum

5. Phosphates. e.g Apatite, monazite

6. Halides. e.g Fluorite, halite

7. Carbonates. e.g Calcite, magnesite, dolomite

8. Orthosilicates. e.g Garnet, olivine

9. Sulfides. e,g Pyrite, galena, spherite

10. Ring silicates. e.g Tourmaline, beryl

There are two different types of minerals 

1. MACRO MINERALS: These minerals your body needs in large amounts

2. TRACE MINERALS: These minerals your body needs in small amounts

ROLE OF MINERALS IN THE BODY:

RBCs contain iron which attaches to oxygen. Minerals are inorganic substances that are found in soil and rocks. They are essential nutrients that the body needs to survive and carry out daily functions and processes

SOURCES OF MINERALS

• Brazil nuts, cashew nuts
• cheese, eggs, milk
• chicken, lean, meat, liver
• garlic, onion
• green vegetables
• mackerel, salmon, tuna
• sunflower seeds

IMPORTANCE OF MINERALS:

 

Several minerals are important for bone health. calcium, the most important mineral in your body, combines with phosphorus, another essential mineral, to form calcium phosphate, the salt compound that makes up your bones and teeth

USES OF MINERALS

1. Iron in the framework of large building

2. Clay in bricks and roofing tiles

3. Slate for roofing tiles

4. Limestone

5. Clay

6. Shale and gypsum in cement

7. Gypsum in plaster

8. Silica sand in window glass

Of the 92 elements found in the earth, 40 of them used in our daily lives.Some of the names are common and well known and other seems obscure until one sees that it helps create something we can not live without. The following is most commonly in use

1. Barium

2. Bauxite

3. Beryllium

4. Chromite

5. Cobalt

6. Copper

7. Fluorite

8. Gold

9. Gypsum

10. Lead

11.Lithium

12. Manganese

13. Mica

14. Nickel

15. Platinum

16. Potash

17. Silica

18. Zinc 

19. Sulfur

20. Tungsten  

EXAMPLES OF MINERALS:

Some common examples of minerals include quartz, graphite, rubies, turquoise, sulfur With few exceptions, minerals are objects that are naturally without the intervention of humans

Milk and other dairy products such as Yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese are good sources of calcium 

Some kinds of orange juice, soy milk are also a good source

FUNCTIONS OF MINERALS:

"Just like vitamin", minerals help your body grow, develop, and stay healthy. The body uses minerals to perform many functions from building strong bones to transmitting the impulse. Some minerals are even used to make hormones or maintain a normal heartbeat