CHEM 106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: Tooth Enamel, Dental Caries, Selenocysteine

• School: BYU
• Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Course: CHEM 106
• Professor: Professor Kelly

Document Summary

11:49 pm: figure 22. 13 shows the dri values of four main group essential elements: silicon, selenium, fluorine, and iodine. Silicon, fluorine, and iodine are present in the body in average concentrations between 1 and 1000 g of element per gram of body mass and are considered to be trace elements. The average concentration of se in the human body is 0. 3 g per gram of body mass. Mounting scientific evidence points to a need for a minimum daily dose of approximately 55 g of selenium. The effects of selenium toxicity, however, are apparent in people who ingest more than 500 g per day. Most of the selenium we need is obtained from selenium-rich produce such as garlic, mushrooms, and asparagus, or from fish. Selenium occurs in the body as the amino acid selenocysteine (figure 22. 14) and is incorporated into enzymes: selenocysteine is an antioxidant.