Some biochemical and physiological aspects of copper in animal nutrition

Abstract

WITHIN recent years our conception of the mineral nutrition of animals has had to be broadened to take account of certain "trace" elements which have been found to be widely distributed in the vegetable and animal kingdoms.These elements, e.g.manganese, iodine, zinc, copper, etc., occur only in minute traces but their possible physiological significance cannot be neglected.The claim that copper is essential for the utilisation of iron in haemoglobin building [Waddell et al., 1928] arouses particular interest in this element.The work outlined below was undertaken with a view to obtaining further information on this and cognate subjects.