Anamika Sinha, Riya Chaudhary, Manasa Kongot & Amit Kumar

OUR bodies contain elements in varied quantities and varied forms and performing varied functions. The simplest example for a combination of elements is water made up of hydrogen and oxygen and forming about 70% of our body matter. Water and many other such elements ensure proper functioning of cells, tissues, organs and organ systems in our body. Depending on their varied function and requirements, elements have been categorised as essential, non-essential and toxic elements.

Non-essential elements are not usually required by plants and animals in their daily food intake – they don’t play any established physiological roles as most do not occur biologically. Such elements sometimes enter our diet through food, water and air. Although few elements like vanadium, nickel and chromium have been found to be biologically occurring in very trace amounts, their exact roles are not scientifically well-established; hence they fall into possibly essential trace element category...read more