ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the sources, absorption, transport, utilization, and functions of minerals in animals. The theory of atomic structure aids in the understanding of the electronic states and chemical properties of minerals as related to animal nutrition and metabolism. In animals, the whole-body content of zinc ranks second among trace minerals behind iron, with most of zinc being present in skeletal muscle, bone, skin, liver, brain, kidneys, and heart. Under experimental conditions, in animals, dietary deficiency of bromine impairs immunity, as well as the growth and function of the connective tissue. Of practical importance in nutrition, elevated intakes of aluminum reduce phosphorus absorption and bioavailability, as well as feed intake, growth and development in animals. Cadmium is a metabolic antagonist to zinc, copper, and calcium in animals, therefore inhibiting enzymes involved in energy metabolism, protein synthesis, DNA synthesis and repair, immune response, antioxidative reactions, and neurotransmission.
