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Definition: zinc from Dictionary of Energy

Chemistry. a metallic element having the symbol Zn, the atomic number 30, an atomic weight of 65.38, a melting point of 419°C, and a boiling point of 907°C; a lustrous, bluish-white transition metal found in ores and used for many industrial purposes such as alloys, galvanized metals, and dry-cell batteries. Zinc is an essential nutrient element in soils and animals.

zinc

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
metallic chemical element; symbol Zn; at. no. 30; at. wt. 65.38; m.p. 419.58 degrees Celsius; b.p. 907 degrees Celsius; sp. gr. 7.133 at 25 degrees Celsius; valence +2. Zinc is a lustrous bluish-white metal. It is found in Group 12 of the periodic table . It is brittle and crystalline at ordinary temperatures, but when heated to between 110 degrees Celsius and 150 degrees Celsius it becomes ductile and malleable; it can then be rolled into sheets. It is a fairly reactive metal. Although zinc is not abundant in nature, it is of great commercial importance. It is used principally for galvanizing iron, but is also important in the preparation of certain alloys, e.g., Babbitt metal , brass , German silver , and sometimes bronze . It is used for the negative plates in certain electric batteries and for roofing and gutters in building construction. Since the metal reacts with dilute mineral acid to liberate hydrogen, it is often used for this purpose in the laboratory. Zinc compounds are…
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Full text Article Zinc

From New Harvard Guide to Women's Health, The
Zinc is an essential trace mineral, which means that it is necessary in very small quantities for proper growth and functioning of the body. It plays an important role in gene expression, bone metabolism, and normal vision (particularly adaptation to darkness), and it is a component of insulin, the…
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Full text Article zinc

From Dictionary of Microbiology & Molecular Biology
(a) (microbial requirement) Zinc is a HEAVY METAL which is needed, in trace amounts, for the activity of a number of microbial enzymes—e.g. alcohol dehydrogenase; de-acetylase (encoded by gene 1pxC in Escherichia coli , and involved in lipid A synthesis); some β-lactamases and superoxide dismutases; …
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From Philip's Encyclopedia
(symbol Zn) Bluish-white, metallic element of group II of the periodic table. Chief ores are sphalerite , smithsonite, and calamine. The German chemist Andreas Marggraf (1709-82) isolated it in 1746. Zinc is a vital trace element, found in erythrocytes (red bood cells), and is essential for growth…
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From Library of Health and Living: The Encyclopedia of Nutrition and Good Health
An essential trace mineral nutrient required for a wide array of metabolic processes. The body contains about 2.2 g of zinc, more than any trace mineral except iron. The highest concentrations occur in the skin, prostate gland, eyes, nails, and hair, although it is widely distributed among tissues. …
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Full text Article zinc

From Science Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of Marine Science
Zinc is a brittle bluish white inorganic solid with a crystalline structure. Zinc is an essential mineral for growth in all plants and animals. People obtain zinc from mixed animal and plant sources. Oysters, a filter-feeding bivalve mollusk common to estuaries, may contain more zinc per serving…
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Full text Article Zinc

From The Gale Encyclopedia of Nutrition and Food Labels
Zinc
Zinc is a trace element that is considered a micronutrient, which means that it is a nutrient needed in very small amounts. Zinc is found in almost every living cell. The significance of zinc in human nutrition and public health was recognized in 1961, and it was subsequently judged to have a wide…
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From The Gale Encyclopedia of Senior Health
Zinc is a trace element considered a micronutrient, meaning a nutrient needed in very small amounts. It is found in almost every living cell. The significance of zinc in human nutrition and public health was not recognized until 1961, and it is now considered to have a wide range of essential…
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From The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets
Sources of zinc. (Illustration by Electronic...
Zinc is a trace element that is considered a micronutrient, meaning a nutrient needed in very small amounts. It is found in almost every living cell. The significance of zinc in human nutrition and public health was recognized relatively recently (1961), and it is now considered to have a wide range…
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From Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
Zinc
Zinc is a mineral that is essential for a healthy immune system, production of certain hormones, wound healing, bone formation, and clear skin. It is required in very small amounts, and is thus known as a trace mineral. Despite the low requirement, zinc is found in nearly every cell of the body and…
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From The Chambers Dictionary
a bluish-white metallic element (symbol Zn ; atomic no 30) resistant to atmospheric corrosion, a constituent of several alloys (eg brass) and used in galvanizing, battery electrodes, etc (also adj ). vt ( zincing /zingk'ing/, zinck'ing or zink'ing ; zinced /zingkt/, zincked or zinked ) to coat with…
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