Among the metals whose ions are part of organic compounds, an important place belongs to zinc. Biochemists have included it in the group of trace elements, whose content in the cell does not exceed 0.0001%. Zinc cations can be found both in animals and in plant organisms, where it is part of biologically active substances, such as hormones and enzymes, nucleotides, lipids and esters. The role of zinc in the human body is diverse: it is necessary for proper metabolism, the normal course of immune processes, and the implementation of reproductive function. In this article, we will take a closer look at the properties of compounds containing the trace element zinc, as well as give examples illustrating its importance in maintaining the homeostasis of the human body.
Zinc atom as a complexing agent
Most of the enzymes involved in reactionscellular metabolism, are complex substances and contain ions of iron, magnesium, copper, zinc. In biochemistry they are called organometallic compounds. The role of zinc in the human body lies in the fact that, being the central ion, it is part of the molecules of hormones, enzymes and other biologically active substances, such as insulin, lactate dehydrogenase, antiprotease blood protein. Consider their properties further.
Glycolysis regulation
One of the stages of energy metabolism in the cell is glycolysis - oxygen-free breakdown of glucose - the main energy substance of the cell. It is carried out in the presence of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase and leads to the conversion of carbohydrate into lactic acid. Excessive lactate content poisons the cytoplasm of the cell, for the breakdown of this substance to harmless pyruvic acid, a zinc-containing enzyme is synthesized in the cytosol. Its action leads to the neutralization of lactic acid in the cells of the heart muscle, nephrons and myocytes, freeing the cytoplasm from the toxin, which confirms the important role of zinc in the human body. The content of lactate dehydrogenase in the blood is used in the diagnosis of diseases accompanied by a pathological increase in metabolism, in particular the breakdown of glucose, such as cancer of the liver, stomach, lungs, inflammation of the kidneys and degenerative changes in the muscles.
The role of zinc in the development of the immune system
Lymph nodes, thymus, red bone marrow, palatinetonsils produce cells that have a pronounced protective effect against bacteria, viruses, foreign proteins and toxins. The level of development of the immune system has a decisive influence on the state of human he alth and largely depends on the timely formation of protective elements: antibodies, interferons, phagocytes, lymphocytes, macrophages. As biochemical studies have established, all of the above substances and cells that fight the infectious onset are formed with the direct participation of the microelement. An important role of zinc in the human body is that it is involved in the formation of T-lymphocytes and killer cells. They carry the main load in the neutralization of pathogenic bacteria and viruses that cause such serious diseases as tuberculosis, pneumonia, immunodeficiency syndrome, etc. In addition, zinc ions activate cellular genes responsible for a timely response to environmental stress factors and increasing resistance organism to them. Also, thymus hormones - thymosin, thymopoietin and thymulin - become active in the presence of complex zinc particles, which enhances immune processes.
Mechanism of microelement effect on viral infection
To broaden our understanding of the role zinc plays in the human body, consider its functions in blocking the replication of nucleic acids and the synthesis of viral protein molecules. The results of microbiological studies confirmed the fact of a directed antiviral effectzinc ions on pathogens such as herpes, encephalitis, influenza. In particular, the microelement promotes the release of various types of interferons into the blood, which helps to stop the rapid multiplication of viral particles in the early stages of the disease. This is especially true for the processes of translation of pathogen proteins, which are blocked. Thus, the biological role of zinc in the human body lies in its pronounced antiviral effect, which ensures the ability of cells to resist pathogenic agents.
How does zinc regulate human reproductive functions?
The ability to reproduce and procreate is the most important property of all types of living organisms. For the female body, zinc is necessary during pregnancy, and its deficiency is manifested in the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome: migraine, swelling and pain spasms. The trace element is the most significant for the proper development of the male reproductive system and the fertility of gametes - spermatozoa. The masculine type of body formation, the normal functioning of the sex glands - testicles and prostate, the viability of sperm - this is the role of zinc in the body of a man. Zinc in the form of a complexing agent is part of the most important sex hormone - testosterone, which is responsible for the entire process of spermatogenesis, reproductive properties and male libido.
Growth of the body and its dependence on organic zinc compounds
It is known that the anterior pituitary gland produces the hormone somatotropin, from whichphysiological processes of bone tissue growth depend. Along with the growth hormone in the hypothalamus, there is a synthesis of insulin-like molecules, which are polypeptides and are called somatomedins. They contain zinc atoms and, together with somatotropin, enter the bloodstream, affecting the processes of osteogenesis. An excess of growth factors leads to diseases such as gigantism and acromegaly (disproportionately long limbs), while a lack of hormones causes dwarfism. All of the above facts confirm the decisive role of zinc in the body of a child whose growth processes are controlled by zinc-containing hormones.
Functions of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase
In the processes of catabolism in cells and intercellular fluid, an excess amount of decay products accumulates: acetaldehyde, esters, carbon dioxide. To avoid intoxication, carbonic anhydrase is included in the enzyme group of the body. It contains a complex zinc ion and enhances the reaction of the interaction of harmful substances with water. As a result of hydration, toxins are neutralized to compounds that are harmless to the cell, such as carbonic acid. The enzyme, along with hemoglobin, is part of the erythrocytes of all mammals, not just humans. Carbonic anhydrase, which contains zinc and is found in red blood cells, activates the decomposition of toxic acidic carbonate s alts, which accumulate in the blood due to internal respiration, to water and carbon dioxide. This fact proves the extremely important role of zinc in the life of living organisms.
Zinc-containing enzyme - insulin
The pancreas is one of the main organs of the digestive system, it produces a whole arsenal of vital enzymes and hormones, one of which is insulin. It contains two protein chains capable of binding to zinc ions. In this state, insulin acts on the glucose in the blood plasma. It reduces its excess, which appears after the intake of carbohydrates contained in bread, potatoes, confectionery. The hormone is produced by the islets of Langerhans of the pancreas, and if it is not secreted enough, a person develops diabetes mellitus. An important role of zinc in the human body lies in the fact that insulin, which contains it, also affects the metabolism of proteins and lipids, leading to the deposition of fat in the omentum and subcutaneous adipose tissue.
What is the danger of zinc deficiency for human he alth?
Earlier, we established the fact of the presence of a microelement in the form of a central atom of complex organic compounds, present in the molecules of various enzymes. A special place among them belongs to biologically active substances - carboxypeptidases containing zinc ions. Enzymes are part of the pancreatic juice and are necessary for the normal digestion of food in the duodenum and small intestine. They are also involved in the synthesis of the most important hormones that control metabolism: vasopressin, oxytocin, insulin. The influence of zinc-containing carboxypeptidases on the mechanisms of blood coagulation, repairtissues, reproductive functions. It is obvious that zinc deficiency affects the state of he alth and has the following symptoms: a sharp decrease in immunity, susceptibility to depression, disturbances in the digestive system, anomalies in the development of reproductive function. All this can lead to irreversible changes in the human body.
The importance of proper nutrition in the prevention of zinc deficiency
A distinctive feature of the trace element is that it is slowly absorbed by the digestive organs from products of plant and animal origin: beef, milk, peanuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds. Reduces the absorption of zinc by the villi of the epithelium of the small intestine, the excess content in the chyme of coarse fiber, folic acid and copper, calcium and cadmium ions, which are zinc antagonists. The daily requirement of a trace element for children is from 3 to 7 mg, for women - 8 mg, for men - 11 mg. Briefly, the role of zinc in the human body can be characterized as follows: being in the pancreas, gonads, liver, lymphocytes and muscles, the microelement is vital for the proper course of metabolic reactions, the functioning of the digestive, endocrine and reproductive systems of a person.
