A heavy metal is any of a number of higher atomic weight elements, which has the properties of a metallic substance at room temperature.

Living organisms require trace amounts of some heavy metals, including cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, strontium, and zinc, but excessive levels can be detrimental to the organism.

Other heavy metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium have no known vital or beneficial effect on organisms, and their accumulation over time in the bodies of mammals can cause serious illness.

For more information about the topic Heavy metals, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

Actinide — The actinide series encompasses the 15 chemical elements that lie between actinium and lawrencium on the periodic table with atomic numbers 89 - 103. ...  > read more

Transition metal — The term transition metal (sometimes also called a transition element) commonly refers to any element in the d-block of the periodic table, including ...  > read more

Dietary mineral — Dietary minerals are the chemical elements required by living organisms. Appropriate intake levels of each dietary mineral must be sustained to ...  > read more

Metal — In chemistry, a metal is an element that readily forms positive ions (cations) and has metallic bonds. Metals are sometimes described as a lattice of ...  > read more

Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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