trace element

trace element

n.

1. A chemical element present in tiny amounts: trace elements in ground water.

2. A chemical element required in minute quantities by an organism to maintain proper physical functioning.

trace element

n

(Biology) any of various chemical elements, such as iron, manganese, zinc, copper, and iodine, that occur in very small amounts in organisms and are essential for many physiological and biochemical processes

trace′ el`ement

n.

1. any chemical element that is required in minute quantities for physiological functioning.

2. a substance that occurs naturally only in minute amounts in the earth's crust.

Also called trace′ min`eral.

[1935–40]

trace element

(trās)

An element present in an organism in only very small amounts but essential for normal metabolism. Iodine and cobalt, for example, are trace elements required by humans.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

trace element - an element that occurs at very small quantities in the body but is nonetheless important for many biological processes chemical element, element - any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter

Translations

oligoélément

microelemento

trace element

, trace mineral

n → Spurenelement nt

trace element

n → oligoelemento