TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

Certification –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         ii

Dedication   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

Acknowledgements         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iv

Table of contents   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         v-vi

CHAPTER ONE           

1.0 INTRODUCTION               –         –         –         –         –         –         1-2

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 MINERAL ELEMENTS      –         –         –         –         –         –         3-5

2.1 The Importance of Mineral Elements       –         –         –         –         5-7

2.2 Interrelationships and interferences among Mineral Elements –       8-10

2.3 Factors affecting the concentration and

availability of Mineral Element in plants       –         –         –         10-13

2.4 Analyses for the Mineral Element using AAS   –         –         –         13-14

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 BIOCHEMICAL FUNCTIONS OF MINERAL ELEMENTS –      15-17

3.1 Calcium (Ca)   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         17-19

3.2 Phosphorus (P)          –         –         –         –         –         –         –         19-21

3.3 Sodium (Na)    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         21-23

3.4 Potassium (K) –         –         –         –         –         –         –         23-25

3.5 Chlorine (Cl) – –         –         –         –         –         –         –         25-26

3.6 Magnesium (Mg) –         –         –         –         –         –         –         26-29

3.7 Chromium (Cr) –         –         –         –         –         –         –         29-31

3.8 Copper (Cu) – –         –         –         –         –         –         –         31-34

3.9 Iron (Fe) –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         34-36

3.10 Manganese (Mn) –         –         –         –         –         –         –         36-38

3.11 Zinc (Zn) –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         38-40

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

4.1 Summary –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         41

4.2 Conclusion –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         41-42

References

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Mineral are inorganic substances, present in all body tissues and fluids .The presence of these substances is necessary for the maintenance of certain physicochemical processes which are essential to life. Minerals are chemical constituents used by the body in many ways. Although they yield no energy, they have important roles to play in many activities in the body (Malhotra, 1998; Eruvbetine, 2003). Every form of living matter requires these inorganic elements or minerals for their normal life processes (Hays and Swenson, 1985; Ozcan, 2003). Minerals may be broadly classified as macro (major) or micro (trace) elements. The third category is the ultra trace elements.

The macro-minerals include calcium, phosphorus, sodium and chloride, while the micro-elements include iron, copper, cobalt, potassium, magnesium, iodine, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, fluoride, chromium, selenium and sulfur (Eruvbetine, 2003). The macro          minerals are required in amounts greater than 100mg/dl and the micro-minerals are required in amounts less that 100mg/dl (Murray et al, 2000). The ultra trace elements include boron, silicon, arsenic and nickel which have been found in animals and are believed to be essential for these animals.

Evidence for requirement and essentialness of others like cadmium, lead, tin, lithium and vanadium is weak (Albion Research Notes, 1996).