Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. it is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; a freshly exposed surface has a reddish-orange color. it is used as a conductor of heat and electricity, a building material, and a constituent of various metal alloys.

Copper occurs naturally as native copper and was known to some of the oldest civilizations on record. it has a history of use that is at least 10,000 years old, and estimates of its discovery place it at 9000 BC in the Middle East; a copper pendant was found in northern Iraq that dates to 8700 BC.

The major applications of copper are in electrical wires (60%), roofing and plumbing (20%) and industrial machinery (15%). copper is mostly used as a metal, but when a higher hardness is required it is combined with other elements to make an alloy (5% of total use) such as brass and bronze.

Copper is an essential trace element in plants and animals, but not some microorganisms. The human body contains copper at a level of about 1.4 to 2.1 mg per kg of body mass. After processing in the liver, copper is distributed to other tissues in a second phase.

Because of copper role in facilitating iron uptake  copper deficiency can produce anemia-like symptoms, neutropenia, bone abnormalities, hypopigmentation, impaired growth, increased incidence of infections, osteoporosis, hyperthyroidism, and abnormalities in glucose and cholesterol metabolism.