Which statement best defines minerals?

Which statement best defines minerals?

• A. Minerals are organic substances necessary for growth.
• B. Minerals are essential elements needed in small amounts to maintain health and must be supplied by the diet.
• C. Minerals are fats produced by the body.
• D. Minerals are a type of strain in materials.

Answer: (B)

Minerals are inorganic nutrients that the body needs in small amounts to stay healthy. They aren’t produced by the body in sufficient quantities, so they must come from the foods we eat. This makes the statement that minerals are essential elements needed in small amounts to maintain health and must be supplied by the diet the best fit for what minerals are. Examples include calcium, iron, potassium, and iodine, which support bones, blood, nerve function, and metabolism. The other descriptions miss key aspects: minerals are not organic substances for growth like some vitamins or proteins; they are not fats produced by the body; and they are not a type of strain in materials.

Minerals are inorganic nutrients that the body needs in small amounts to stay healthy. They aren’t produced by the body in sufficient quantities, so they must come from the foods we eat. This makes the statement that minerals are essential elements needed in small amounts to maintain health and must be supplied by the diet the best fit for what minerals are.

Examples include calcium, iron, potassium, and iodine, which support bones, blood, nerve function, and metabolism. The other descriptions miss key aspects: minerals are not organic substances for growth like some vitamins or proteins; they are not fats produced by the body; and they are not a type of strain in materials.