PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON A GALVANIZING TRAIL

This article encompasses my perception of, and experience in, an excit ing segment of the trace element era in nutrition research: the role o f zinc in the nutrition of animals and humans. Zinc has been a major p layer on the stage of trace element research, and it has left a trail that has galvanized the attention of many researchers, including mysel f. It is ubiquitous in biological systems, and it plays a multitude of physiologic and biochemical functions. A brief historical overview is followed by a discussion of the contributions the work done in my lab oratory has made toward understanding the physiological and biochemica l functions of zinc. The effort of 40 years has led to the belief that one of zinc's major roles, and perhaps its first limiting role, is to preserve plasma-membrane function as regards ion channels and signal transduction. Although substantial knowledge has been gained relating to the importance of zinc in nutrition, much remains to be discovered.