Trace Elements In Human Tissues Research Articles

The determination of copper and zinc in normal and pathologic human thyroid tissue.

The literature has been well documented with quantitative studies on the metallic constituents occurring in trace amounts in plant and animal tissues. Many different techniques including chemical, physical and microbiologic, have been utilized in the analyses of these tissues. In many instances the minimal daily requirements for these elements have been established for certain plants and animals. The effects of sub minimal and excessive intake levels of these elements in some plants and animals have also been studied. Because of the lack of adequate quantitative data on the subject of trace elements in human tissues, a study of as many of these elements as possible was begun in our laboratories. At present, qualitative and quantitative analyses of human tissues, both normal and pathologic, are being made. When different techniques were available for the quantitative determination of a single trace element, aliquots of each sample were analyzed by the various methods and the results compared.