ABSTRACT
ACKNOWLEDGMENT 113
ABBREVIATIONS 113
REFERENCES 114
Manganese, the twelfth most abundant element in the biosphere, has been recognized since the Roman Empire; its name is thought to be derived from a Greek word for magic. That manganese in excess can be harmful to humans has been recognized since 1837, when Couper [1] reported that the chronic inhalation of high amounts of manganese oxide could result in neurological damage. That a deficit of this element could result in pathology in mammals was shown in 1931 by Kemmerer and co-workers when they reported that dietary manganese deficiency in the rat resulted in impaired growth [2]. That manganese deficiency could result in biochemical abnormalities in humans was first shown by Doisy in 1972 [3]. In this chapter, we will briefly summarize some of the literature related to manganese nutrition, toxicology, and metabo lism in humans and experimental animals. Based on space constraints, review articles rather than original sources will be cited in many cases; the reader is directed to these reviews for the original citations and for an expanded discussion of the topics.
