Medical Importance of Trace Elements

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2025-2026

Topic

In recent years, more and more people have been taking supplements containing one or more trace elements for various reasons. But why do we need these trace elements in our body? How can we recognise a trace element deficiency? The aim of this course is to familiarise students with the occurrence, biochemical significance, dietary sources and medical significance of deficiencies and excess intakes of trace elements that play an important role in the human body. The course will provide an overview of the occurrence of the various trace elements on Earth and in the human body, with particular emphasis on enzyme systems and their physiological effects. We will also review the most important dietary sources of intake, national and international intake recommendations, and the pathologies caused by deficiencies and excess intakes of various trace elements, based on current literature, with an emphasis on evidence-based medicine.

Lectures

• 1.

  Introduction, description of the thematic

  - Szabó Éva (Biokémia)
• 2. What are trace elements? Overview of trace elements - Szabó Éva (Biokémia)
• 3. Medical importance of iron, deficiencies, intoxications - Szabó Éva (Biokémia)
• 4. Medical importance of iodine, deficiencies, intoxications - Szabó Éva (Biokémia)
• 5. Medical importance of fluoride, deficiencies, intoxications - Szabó Éva (Biokémia)
• 6. Medical importance of zinc, deficiencies, intoxications - Szabó Éva (Biokémia)
• 7. Medical importance of copper, deficiencies, intoxications - Szabó Éva (Biokémia)
• 8.

  Medical importance of selenium, deficiencies, intoxications

  - Szabó Éva (Biokémia)
• 9.

  Medical importance of molybdenum, deficiencies, intoxications

  - Szabó Éva (Biokémia)
• 10.

  Medical importance of manganese, deficiencies, intoxications

  - Szabó Éva (Biokémia)
• 11.

  Medical importance of chromium, deficiencies, intoxications

  - Szabó Éva (Biokémia)
• 12. Consultation, written exam - Szabó Éva (Biokémia)

Practices

Seminars

Reading material

Obligatory literature

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Literature developed by the Department

The presentations will be uploaded electronically to the Teams group

Notes

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Recommended literature

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Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Maximum 25% absence, active participation in lessons

Mid-term exams

Written exam on the 12th week, the make up of the exam is not possible.

Making up for missed classes

The make up of the course is not possible.

Exam topics/questions

1. The term trace minerals and their incidence

2. Biochemical importance of iron

3. Dietary iron sources

4. Conditions caused by excess iron intake

5. Conditions caused by iron deficiency

6. Biochemical importance of iodine

7. Dietary iodine sources

8. Conditions caused by excess iodine intake

9. Conditions caused by iodine deficiency

10. Biochemical importance of fluoride

11. Dietary fluoride sources

12. Conditions caused by excess fluoride intake

13. Conditions caused by fluoride deficiency

14. Biochemical importance of zinc

15. Dietary zinc sources

16. Conditions caused by excess zinc intake

17. Conditions caused by zinc deficiency

18. Biochemical importance of copper

19. Dietary copper sources

20. Conditions caused by excess copper intake

21. Conditions caused by copper deficiency

22. Biochemical importance of chromium

23. Dietary chromium sources

24. Conditions caused by excess chromium intake

25. Conditions caused by chromium deficiency

26. Biochemical importance of selenium

27. Dietary selenium sources

28. Conditions caused by excess selenium intake

29. Conditions caused by selenium deficiency

30. Biochemical importance of molybdenum

31. Dietary molybdenum sources

32. Conditions caused by excess molybdenum intake

33. Conditions caused by molybdenum deficiency

34. Biochemical importance of manganese

35. Dietary manganese sources

36. Conditions caused by excess manganese intake

37. Conditions caused by manganese deficiency

Examiners

• Szabó Éva (Biokémia)

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars

• Szabó Éva (Biokémia)