macroelement

7.8

An element the body needs in large amounts to stay healthy

noun
/ˈmækroʊˌɛlɪmənt/

Specialized

: macroelemento

Eating a balanced diet helps ensure you get all the necessary macroelements your body needs.

Examples

Fruits and vegetables are rich in important macroelements like potassium and magnesium.
Healthcare professionals often emphasize the role of macroelements in maintaining good health.
Test materials undergo additional quality assurance analyses, including trace metals, macroelements, oxidation products, and microbiological tests before shipment to approved investigators.

Academic text (1991)

Synonyms

major mineral

vsmacroelement

Specialized

3.5

A substance the body needs in fairly large amounts to stay healthy

is expressed as a chemical element rather than as a mineral

How Much

macroelement

Specialized

7.8

trace element

Specialized

5 4.4

Surface Forms

macroelement singular

macroelements plural

Morphology

macroelement = element (transparent) = macro + element

The word is transparently formed from the prefix 'macro-' meaning large and the noun 'element', yielding a term for a large-amount essential body element.

Etymology

Macroelement joins macro- meaning 'large' and element meaning 'a basic substance'. So a macroelement is an element the body needs in large amounts.