Selenium. This report presents information on the element named Selenium and its relationship to human health. Discussed is the history of discovery, its common sources & use, and the potential benefits and associated harm. In the subject of Chemistry, Selenium can be found labeled as ‘Se’ with an atomic number of 34 on the Periodic Table of Elements. In human health, Selenium in an essential micronutrient. ‘Essential’ meaning, the body cannot produce it & therefore it must be consumed. It is a trace element required in small amounts. Jons Jacob Berzelius a Swedish Chemist made the discovery of the element Selenium. In 1817 Berzelius was analysing a red deposit found while producing sulfuric acid using cooper. Through examination of its properties Berzelius concluded that it was a new element similar to Tellurium and Sulfur. Tellurium was named after and with reference to the earth, so it was decided that the new element Selenium would be named after the moon goddess, Selene (Terry, Diamond, 2012). In the 1930’s Selenium was mostly known for it toxicity effects in farm animals. Animals experienced acute …show more content…
Selenium along with other minerals assists the body’s ability to fight infection and disease by helping to boost white blood cells. The American journal of clinical nutrition displays a study that shows a significant change in the immune function when a group of twenty-two adults with relatively low levels of selenium where given supplements of Selenium (as sodium selenite). The three groups where given a dose of 50ug or 100ug or placebo daily, then in week 6 they where exposed to the poliovirus. The increases dose of 100ug of selenium was shown to optimized immune function in the adult with significant low levels, however the study does state that caution is to be taken before recommendation to increase selenium intake as the safe range of intake is relatively low. (Broome. C. S, et
Sulfur goes back to the ancient times but it was called brimstone. In 1979, a French chemist named Antoine Lavoisier recognized sulfur was an element and added it to his list of elements. The element sulfur is considered a nonmetal and is the 10th most abundant element in the universe. On the periodic table sulfur is in group sixteen and it is a representative element. Sulfur has an atomic mass of 32.07 with an atomic number of 16. There are three energy levels for sulfur the first energy level is two, the second energy level is eight, and the third energy level is six.
Vitamin B12 deficiency limits selenium methylation and excretion resulting in higher tissue selenium levels and subsequent toxicity. It occurs in people whose digestive systems do not adequately absorb the vitamin from the foods they eat. Vegetarians who eat eggs and milk products are the most at risk because, on average, they consume less than half the adult vitamin B12 Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) while strict vegans (who don't eat any animal products, including meat, eggs, or milk) are at an even greater risk. Vitamin B12 is important since it works with the vitamin folate to make the body’s genetic material and help keep levels of the amino acid homocysteine in check which helps to decrease heart disease risk. It is also essential in the production of red blood cells which carry oxygen through the blood to the body’s tissues. Life Extension gives offers some of selenium supplements. Babies who are born of parents with low selenium and vitamin B12 rich foods are at risk of anaemia.
Strontium was discovered by Adair Crawford, an Irish chemist, in 1790 while studying the mineral witherite (BaCO3). When he mixed witherite with hydrochloric acid (HCl), he did not get the results he expected. He assumed that his sample of witherite was contaminated with an unknown mineral, a mineral he named strontianite (SrCO3). Strontium was first isolated by Sir Humphry Davy, an English chemist, in 1808 through the electrolysis of a mixture of strontium chloride (SrCl2) and mercuric oxide (HgO). Strontium reacts vigorously with water and quickly tarnishes in air, so it must be stored out of contact with air and water. Due to its extreme reactivity to air, this element always naturally occurs combined with other elements and compounds. Strontium is very
Avellini L, Chiaradia E, Gaiti a. Effect of exercise training, selenium and vitamin E on some free radical scavengers in horses (Equus caballus). Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol. 1999;123(2):147–54. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10425718.
Alan Goldberg. “Alternatives to Animals in Toxicity Testing.” Ed. Jeanne Williams. Scientific American Inc: 1989. Print.
Dietary supplements are very beneficial to one’s body if they are taken correctly. There are many pros and cons to taking dietary supplements. In this paper I will discuss the pros and cons and how supplements affect the human body. We will also consider the government’s guidelines regarding dietary supplements.
Arsenic is the 20th most common element in the earth’s crust and can be found naturally in our environment. There is around 0.006 to 0.03 ppm or arsenic distributed in seawater, and 20 ppm of arsenic in soil (before pesticides). Every human will ingest about 0.5 to 1 mg of arsenic in a day from food and water, because arsenic is present in higher quantities in se...
There are many contributing factors that enhance the amount of lead in the environment, for instance, environmental lead occurs from the burning of leaded gasoline, from battery and smelter industries and it’s also found in ink and paper. Additionally, many canned food products are sealed with lead solder (Analytical Research Laboratories, 2012). Due to the vast quantity of lead found in the environment, exposure is inevitable. On the contrary, there are three main ways in which lead can enter the body: inhalation, ingestion or absorption through the skin. It may be inhaled when it is burned or melted, releasing some of the lead as a fume and or when dust that contains lead becomes airborne. In terms of ingestion, lead may be ingested through drinking water, when dust particles containing lead come in contact with food or food preparation surfaces, etc. In particular cases that inv...
In 1817, an aging Swedish chemist was pouring over his work on a late afternoon in Stockholm, Sweden. He was analyzing a strange ore named Petalite that had been procured from an island off the coast of Sweden called Utö. The ore Petalite (which is now recognized to be LiAl(Si2O5)2) had been discovered by a Brazilian scientist, José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva towards the end of the 18th century on a visit to Sweden. This Swedish scientist, Johann August Arfvedson, detected traces of an unknown substance in his sample of Petalite. This was the first discovery of Lithium.
Chang-Hwan Oh. "Selenium content in representative Korean foods." Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 22.2 (2009): 117-122. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
Many animals such as rats, mice, dogs, cats, birds, and monkeys are forced endure unnecessary pain due to animal testing. It is inhumane to use animals for toxicity testing because the animals are left to suffer or die after they are used. According to an online article, “some are forced to inhale toxic fumes, others are immobili...
Plasma was considered as the most important part of human blood, which carries out most of the function in relation to transport. Fluids is the major constituent of plasma, with an estimated total protein concentration of about 7.0-7.5 g/dl, as the solid component in plasma, that contain a complex mixture of different proteins which are mainly glycoprotein and lipoproteins. The concentration of plasma protein is largely occupied by Albumin, which is about 3.4-4.7 g/dl as the major protein; this protein will be discourse in further details, (Murray et al 2003). Plasma protein plays a role as biomarkers in diagnosing human diseases, due to their functions as dynamic interface for molecular transport in the body even though, their determination is very difficult because it contain almost 3700 different proteins as found in the literature, (Manley and Gailer, 2009). It was well known from early research, (Himmelhoch, et al, 1966) that plasma protein contain a minute amount of metals, and different technique were used to determine distribution, which will explained in more details. These metals are essential for many function in relation to good health of a living organism, 15 trace element found in plasma were considered of great importance in this aspect which includes but not limited to: Fe, Zn, Cu, Se, Co, I, K, Na, Mg, Mn, Ca, as reported by (Muniz, et al 2013). However, among these trace element Cu and Zn where considered as the most important of all the trace elements in coordinating health activities and were found to bound one metal per protein. The distribution of these metals was found to be high in Plasma Albumin with a concentration of 36.1-53.6 ...
Ions are critical to human health. As defined by Dictionary.com, an ion is an electrically charged atom or group of atoms formed by the loss or gain of one or more electrons. The human body is the most intricate of ‘designs,’ despite the fact it is composed of basic natural resources called elements. The ions discussed in this paper include oxygen, carbon, potassium, and sulfur. A healthy body is composed of these ions, along with others (zinc, fluoride, iron, etc.). The absence of these elements could lead to an unhealthy body, and make it an easier target for diseases. The chemical formulas, charges, and properties will also be discussed in this document. Also, addressed is the essential role of the ion presented, the way in which the ion serves the body, the diseases that may result from deficiency, and the global distribution of these deficiencies. Ions are an essential part of human health. The ions that are present make the body’s daily functions possible, allowing it to be protected from cruel bacteria or diseases.
The importance of zinc for the human body was not known till the mid-60s when Prasad AS discovered zinc