将近七十五年以前,从营养学方面的观察证明铜在哺乳动物体内具有生化功能。此后发现铜和铁都是正常红细胞生成的重要元素。后又了解到铜是某些代谢中的关键性酶的一种成份。最近又发现铜在结缔组织代谢中的作用和在中枢神经系统的功能。在一般人群中,包括大多数婴儿,单纯膳食性缺铜很少见。但遗传性疾病如Menke氏症候群,以及伴有低蛋白血症和腹泻的吸收不良疾患时可产生低血铜症。肝豆状核变性由于铜代谢障碍也可产生低血铜症,但得此病者, Nearly seventy-five years ago, nutritional observations show that copper has biochemical functions in mammals. Since then, both copper and iron have been found to be important elements of normal erythropoiesis. Later learned that copper is a key component of some of the metabolic enzymes. Recently copper has also been found to play a role in connective tissue metabolism and in the central nervous system. In the general population, including most babies, dietary copper deficiency is rare. However, hereditary diseases such as Menke’s Syndrome, as well as malabsorption disorders associated with hypoalbuminemia and diarrhea, can produce hypomagnesemia. Wilson’s disease due to copper metabolism can also produce low blood copper disease, but in this disease,