Microelements

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Microscopic substances needed in minimal amounts for the healthy functioning of living organisms
2. Trace minerals required in very small quantities for proper biological functions in plants and animals
3. Mineral nutrients needed in minute doses to support various physiological and metabolic processes

Etymology: "Microelements" is the plural of "microelement", a compound built from the Greek-derived prefix "micro-", meaning small, and "element", the English word for a basic constituent of a substance. The prefix comes from the Greek "mikros", and "element" comes to English through Old French from the Latin "elementum", which was used for the basic parts of things such as letters of the alphabet and the four classical substances. Put together, the term describes substances present in the body or in plants in only trace amounts, yet still essential to their proper functioning.

Synonyms: trace elements, micronutrients, essential elements, minor elements, microminerals