Roughly 5 grams of iron are present in the human body and is the most abundant trace metal. It is absorbed in the intestine as heme or non-heme iron depending on the food source. Heme iron is derived from the digestion of hemoproteins in meat. Non-heme iron is mainly derived from plants and exist as iron(II) or iron(III) ions.
A relatively non-toxic metal to humans and the second most abundant, the body has 2-3 grams of zinc. It can enter the body through inhalation, skin absorption, and ingestion, with the latter of the bunch being the most common. The mucosal cells of the digestive tract contain metallothionein proteins that store the zinc ions.
Nearly 90% of zinc is found in the bones, muscles, and vesicles in the brain. Zinc is a cofactor in hundreds of enzyme reactions and a major component of zinc finger proteins.
The third most abundant trace metal in the human body.
Zoroddu, Maria Antonietta; Aaseth, Jan; Crisponi, Guido; Medici, Serenella; Peana, Massimiliano; Nurchi, Valeria Marina (June 2019). "The essential metals for humans: a brief overview". Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 195: 120–129. doi:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.03.013. PMID 30939379. S2CID 92997696. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
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Zoroddu, Maria Antonietta; Aaseth, Jan; Crisponi, Guido; Medici, Serenella; Peana, Massimiliano; Nurchi, Valeria Marina (June 2019). "The essential metals for humans: a brief overview". Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 195: 120–129. doi:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.03.013. PMID 30939379. S2CID 92997696. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
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Iron physiology and pathophysiology in humans. Gregory J. Anderson, Gordon D. McLaren. New York: Humana Press. 2012. ISBN 978-1-60327-485-2. OCLC 773925198.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) 978-1-60327-485-2
Zoroddu, Maria Antonietta; Aaseth, Jan; Crisponi, Guido; Medici, Serenella; Peana, Massimiliano; Nurchi, Valeria Marina (June 2019). "The essential metals for humans: a brief overview". Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 195: 120–129. doi:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.03.013. PMID 30939379. S2CID 92997696. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Zoroddu, Maria Antonietta; Aaseth, Jan; Crisponi, Guido; Medici, Serenella; Peana, Massimiliano; Nurchi, Valeria Marina (June 2019). "The essential metals for humans: a brief overview". Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 195: 120–129. doi:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.03.013. PMID 30939379. S2CID 92997696. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Zoroddu, Maria Antonietta; Aaseth, Jan; Crisponi, Guido; Medici, Serenella; Peana, Massimiliano; Nurchi, Valeria Marina (June 2019). "The essential metals for humans: a brief overview". Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 195: 120–129. doi:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.03.013. PMID 30939379. S2CID 92997696. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Plum, Laura M.; Rink, Lothar; Haase, Hajo (26 March 2010). "The Essential Toxin: Impact of Zinc on Human Health". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 7 (4): 1342–1365. doi:10.3390/ijerph7041342. ISSN 1660-4601. PMC 2872358. PMID 20617034. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2872358
Zoroddu, Maria Antonietta; Aaseth, Jan; Crisponi, Guido; Medici, Serenella; Peana, Massimiliano; Nurchi, Valeria Marina (June 2019). "The essential metals for humans: a brief overview". Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 195: 120–129. doi:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.03.013. PMID 30939379. S2CID 92997696. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Plum, Laura M.; Rink, Lothar; Haase, Hajo (26 March 2010). "The Essential Toxin: Impact of Zinc on Human Health". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 7 (4): 1342–1365. doi:10.3390/ijerph7041342. ISSN 1660-4601. PMC 2872358. PMID 20617034. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2872358
Zoroddu, Maria Antonietta; Aaseth, Jan; Crisponi, Guido; Medici, Serenella; Peana, Massimiliano; Nurchi, Valeria Marina (June 2019). "The essential metals for humans: a brief overview". Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 195: 120–129. doi:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.03.013. PMID 30939379. S2CID 92997696. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Zoroddu, Maria Antonietta; Aaseth, Jan; Crisponi, Guido; Medici, Serenella; Peana, Massimiliano; Nurchi, Valeria Marina (June 2019). "The essential metals for humans: a brief overview". Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 195: 120–129. doi:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.03.013. PMID 30939379. S2CID 92997696. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)
Zoroddu, Maria Antonietta; Aaseth, Jan; Crisponi, Guido; Medici, Serenella; Peana, Massimiliano; Nurchi, Valeria Marina (June 2019). "The essential metals for humans: a brief overview". Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry. 195: 120–129. doi:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.03.013. PMID 30939379. S2CID 92997696. /wiki/Doi_(identifier)