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trace element

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noun Biochemistry.
  1. any element that is required in minute quantities for physiological functioning.
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Origin of trace element

First recorded in 1935–40
Also called trace mineral.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for trace element

trace element

noun
  1. 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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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
trace element in Medicine

trace element

(trās)
n.
  1. A chemical element required in minute quantities by an organism to maintain proper physical functioning.
  2. A minute quantity or amount, as of a chemical compound.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
trace element in Science

trace element

[trās]
  1. 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.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.