ACTA FAC. MED. NAISS. 2003; 20 (4): 189-202

Review article

TRACE ELEMENTS

Dušica Simić¹, Ivana Budić²

¹University Children's  Hospital Belgrade Clinic for Pediatric Surgery and
²Orthopedics, Clinical Center, Nis

 SUMMARY

 Cellular processes such as energy utilization, growth and immune function can't go well without trace elements. Trace elements are essential inorganic micronutrients, each contributing less than 0,01% to the total body weight. Every element, whose amount in the adult human body is less than 1 g, while daily requirements are not higher than 100 mg/day, could be considered as a trace element. Their nutritional deficiency usually results in a complex syndrome of typical signs and symptoms that usually withdraw after the supplementation.

Key words: trace elements, deficiency, supplementation