Cobalt & Zinc

Cobalt, an element with atomic number 27, has many medical uses. You need zinc, an element with atomic number 30, for growth and health. Zinc deficiency may lead to poor night vision, slow healing of wounds, a diminished sense of taste and smell, a decreased ability to fight infections, and poor development of reproductive organs. Zinc also has disease-fighting properties.

Cobalt and Vitamin B12

Cobalt, a component of vitamin B12, helps to form myelin around nerves. An average adult's body holds 2 to 5 mg of Vitamin B12, most of which is stored in the liver.

Cobalt Toxicity

An individual who consumes a toxic dose of cobalt, more than 5 mg per day, can experience abnormal thyroid function and an overproduction of red blood cells. in the 1960s, some breweries added cobalt to beer to stabilize foam. Some people who drank large quantities of beer experienced nausea, vomiting and heart enlargement and congestive heart failure as a result.

Cobalt and Cancer

Cobalt-60, a radioactive isotope of cobalt and an important source of gamma rays, treats some cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Zinc Fingers and Genetic Defects

A zinc finger is composed of 30 amino acids folded over and stabilized by a zinc ion. The human body contains more than 700 different zinc finger proteins, which bind to specific DNA sequences to turn genes on and off, according to Nature News.

Zinc finger nucleases are molecular scissors that cut both strands of DNA at a specific point. This technique has enormous potential to correct genetic defects; for example, it can permanently alter the gene encoding human interleukin 2 receptor γ. This gene causes X-linked severe combined immune deficiency, or bubble boy disease.

Zinc Finger Proteins and HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, uses the co-receptor CCR5 to bind, fuse with and enter target cells. Zinc finger proteins cause mutations in the CCR5 gene, which reduces CCR5 proteins on T cells, according to Dr. Elena Perez in Penn Medicine News. A mutation in one copy of CCR5 can provide some protection against HIV, while a mutation in both copies of the gene can provide complete protection.

Zinc and Enzymes

Zinc, an integral component of many enzymes in the body, is involved in the synthesis and stabilization of proteins, DNA and RNA. It is necessary for normal sperm formation, fetal growth and development of embryos, according to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine."

Zinc and Wilson's Disease

Wilson's disease causes copper to accumulate in the liver and brain due to a genetic defect in copper transporting protein. Zinc salts prevent further absorption of copper in the gastrointestinal tract.