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There is evidence that certain elements are essential to groups other than humans, but there has been little effort to systematically study any group other than humans or laboratory animals to determine the effects of deficiency of uncommon elements, and for these groups knowledge is largely limited to information that has been gathered ...
Boron is essential to plants, [43] [44] [45] but not animals. [6] Non-essential elements can sometimes appear in the body when they are chemically similar to essential elements (e.g. Rb + and Cs + replacing Na +), so that essentiality is not the same thing as uptake by a biological system. [1]
The elements listed below as "Essential in humans" are those listed by the US Food and Drug Administration as essential nutrients, [9] as well as six additional elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen (the fundamental building blocks of life on Earth), sulfur (essential to all cells) and cobalt (a necessary component of vitamin B 12).
Metal ions are essential to the function of many proteins present in living organisms, such as metalloproteins and enzymes that require metal ions as cofactors. [3] Processes including oxygen transport and DNA replication are carried out using enzymes such as DNA polymerase, which in humans requires magnesium and zinc to function properly. [4]
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are fatty acids that humans and other animals must ingest because the body requires them for good health but cannot synthesize them. [18] Only two fatty acids are known to be essential for humans: alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) and linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid). [19]
Learning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, attitudes, and preferences. [1] The ability to learn is possessed by humans, non-human animals, and some machines; there is also evidence for some kind of learning in certain plants. [2]
Micronutrients are essential dietary elements required by organisms in varying quantities to regulate physiological functions of cells and organs. [1] [2] Micronutrients support the health of organisms throughout life. [3] [4] [5] In varying amounts supplied through the diet, micronutrients include such compounds as vitamins and dietary minerals.
In humans, copper is essential to the proper functioning of organs and metabolic processes. Also, in humans, copper helps maintain the nervous system, immune system, brain development, and activates genes, as well as assisting in the production of connective tissues, blood vessels, and energy. [ 1 ]