Define Briefly about the Copper?
As early as the times of Hippocrates, copper compounds were used to treat various diseases. However, in the 20" century, it was noticed that animals fed milk diets developed anaemia, which could not be corrected by dietary iron alone. In 1928, E.B. Hart and co-workers demonstrated that rats which developed the milk diet anaemia required copper along with iron to correct anaemia. It is now known that copper is a constituent of several enzymes and proteins, most of which catalyze oxidation- reduction reactions. In the body, copper occurs in two oxidation states- Cu1+ (Cuprous) or Cu2+ (Cupric). The body of a healthy adult contains a little over 0.1 g of copper with concentration being high in liver, brain, heart, bone, hair and nails. About 25 % of body copper is present in muscle, and 42% in the skeleton.