trace element
Use Trace element in a sentencetrace element
1935–40
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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| trace element | |
| —n | |
| 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 | |
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| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
trace element n.
A chemical element required in minute quantities by an organism to maintain proper physical functioning.
A minute quantity or amount, as of a chemical compound.
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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trace element  (trās) Pronunciation Key
An element present in an organism in only very small amounts but essential for normal metabolism. iodine and cobalt are trace elements required by humans. |
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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trace element
in biology, any chemical element required by living organisms in minute amounts, usually as part of a vital enzyme, a cell-produced catalytic protein. Exact needs vary among species, but commonly required plant micronutrients include copper, boron, zinc, manganese, and molybdenum. Animals also require manganese, iodine, and cobalt. Lack of a necessary plant micronutrient in the soil causes plant deficiency diseases; lack of animal micronutrients in the soil may not harm the plants, but, without them, animals feeding solely on those plants develop deficiency diseases.
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