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Minerals are the unsung heroes of your body's daily operations—they don't provide calories, but without them, you couldn't build bone, carry oxygen, fire a nerve impulse, or even keep your heart beating in rhythm. In Introduction to Nutrition, you're being tested on more than just matching minerals to functions; you need to understand how minerals work at the cellular level, why deficiencies cause specific symptoms, and which minerals interact with each other in absorption and function.
The key to mastering this topic is recognizing that minerals fall into functional categories: some build structures, some carry molecules, some regulate fluid and electrical signals, and some protect cells or activate enzymes. Don't just memorize that calcium builds bones—know that it also enables muscle contraction and nerve signaling, which explains why severe deficiency causes muscle cramps and numbness. Think in mechanisms, not just lists.
These minerals form the physical framework of your skeleton and teeth. Hydroxyapatite crystals—made primarily of calcium and phosphorus—give bones their rigid strength, while other minerals support the matrix that holds everything together.
Compare: Calcium vs. Phosphorus—both are major bone-building minerals stored primarily in the skeleton, but calcium also drives muscle contraction while phosphorus powers energy metabolism through ATP. If an exam question asks about mineral interactions, remember these two work as partners in bone formation.
These minerals enable your cells to receive oxygen and produce energy. Without adequate iron and copper, oxygen delivery fails and energy production stalls—explaining why deficiency causes profound fatigue.
Compare: Iron vs. Copper—both are essential for preventing anemia, but iron is the oxygen carrier while copper enables iron absorption and transport. This explains why copper deficiency can cause iron-deficiency-like symptoms even when iron intake is adequate.
Electrolytes are minerals that carry electrical charges when dissolved in body fluids. They create the electrochemical gradients that drive nerve impulses, muscle contractions, and fluid movement across cell membranes.
Compare: Sodium vs. Potassium—both are essential electrolytes for nerve and muscle function, but they work on opposite sides of the cell membrane. Sodium is concentrated outside cells; potassium inside. The -ATPase pump maintains this gradient, which is why both minerals must be balanced for proper cardiovascular and neuromuscular function.
The thyroid gland requires specific minerals to produce hormones that control your metabolic rate. Iodine forms the structural core of thyroid hormones, while selenium activates them—making both essential for metabolism regulation.
Compare: Iodine vs. Selenium—both are essential for thyroid function, but iodine builds the hormone structure while selenium activates it. A deficiency in either can impair metabolism, but iodine deficiency causes goiter while selenium deficiency may worsen existing thyroid conditions.
These minerals support your body's defense systems and ability to heal. They act as cofactors for enzymes involved in immune cell function, protein synthesis, and wound repair.
Compare: Zinc vs. Copper—both support immune function and connective tissue health, but zinc is more directly involved in immune cell activity and wound healing, while copper focuses on iron metabolism and collagen cross-linking. Both are trace minerals with similar food sources (meat, shellfish), so deficiencies often occur together.
| Concept | Best Examples |
|---|---|
| Bone and tooth formation | Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium |
| Oxygen transport | Iron, Copper |
| Energy metabolism (ATP) | Phosphorus, Magnesium, Iron |
| Electrolyte/fluid balance | Sodium, Potassium |
| Nerve impulse transmission | Sodium, Potassium, Calcium |
| Thyroid hormone function | Iodine, Selenium |
| Antioxidant protection | Selenium, Copper, Zinc |
| Immune function | Zinc, Selenium |
Which two minerals work together in bone formation, and what is the approximate ratio in which they're stored in hydroxyapatite crystals?
Explain why copper deficiency can cause symptoms similar to iron deficiency anemia, even when dietary iron intake is adequate.
Compare and contrast the roles of sodium and potassium in maintaining the electrochemical gradient across cell membranes. Why is balance between these two minerals critical for heart function?
A patient presents with goiter and fatigue. Which two minerals should be evaluated, and what are their distinct roles in thyroid hormone metabolism?
If an FRQ asks you to identify minerals involved in enzyme activation, which three would provide the strongest examples, and what types of reactions does each support?