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Metal toxicity or metal poisoning is the toxic effect of certain metals in certain forms and doses on life. Some metals are toxic when they form poisonous soluble compounds. Certain metals have no biological role, i.e. are not essential minerals, or are toxic when in a certain form. [ 1 ]
Metals in medicine are used in organic systems for diagnostic and treatment purposes. [1] Inorganic elements are also essential for organic life as cofactors in enzymes called metalloproteins. When metals are under or over-abundant in the body, equilibrium must be returned to its natural state via interventional and natural methods.
Lead poisoning, also known as plumbism and saturnism, is a type of metal poisoning caused by lead in the body. [2] Symptoms may include abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, irritability, memory problems, infertility, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. [1]
Titanium is considered the most biocompatible metal due to its resistance to corrosion from bodily fluids, bio-inertness, capacity for osseointegration, and high fatigue limit. Titanium's ability to withstand the harsh bodily environment is a result of the protective oxide film that forms naturally in the presence of oxygen.
Metal ions and metallic compounds are often used in medical treatments and diagnoses. [18] Compounds containing metal ions can be used as medicine, such as lithium compounds and auranofin. [19] [20] Metal compounds and ions can also produce harmful effects on the body due to the toxicity of several types of metals. [18]
Cobalt is an essential element for health in animals in minute amounts as a component of vitamin B 12. A deficiency of cobalt, which is very rare, is also potentially lethal, leading to pernicious anemia. [1] Exposure to cobalt metal dust is most common in the fabrication of tungsten carbide. [2]
The research to date has been valuable: genes can be turned off gradually to explore varying degrees of deficiency. [citation needed] Researchers have also demonstrated in test tubes that damaged DNA in the cells of a Menkes patient can be repaired. In time, the procedures needed to repair damaged genes in the human body may be found. [citation ...
Electron microscope scans of human brain-tissue samples are able to differentiate between magnetite produced by the body's own cells and magnetite absorbed from airborne pollution, the natural forms being jagged and crystalline, while magnetite pollution occurs as rounded nanoparticles. Potentially a human health hazard, airborne magnetite is a ...