PHYSIOLOGICAL-ROLE OF ZINC

Zinc is essential for normal life in animals and man and appears to play an important role in a large number of biological processes. Body zinc content appears to be under close homeostatic control by regulation of the processes of both zinc absorption and excretion. No substantial store of zinc appears to exist in man and little of the total body zinc appears to be available for redistribution to prevent the onset of zinc-deficiency symptoms. However, a clear appreciation of the role of this element in human pathology is still lacking. The major reason for this is a lack of accepted techniques for the assessment of the small 'mobile' pools which are important in the maintenance of critical poorly-understood Zn-dependent processes which when disturbed lead to the clinical manifestations of zinc deficiency.