naturally occurring homogeneous solid with a definite chemical composition and a highly ordered atomic arrangement; it is usually formed by inorganic processes. There are several thousand known mineral species, about 100 of which constitute the major...

The term mineral is often used to denote any material that occurs naturally in the ground, including oil and natural gas. However, mineralogists and geologists restrict its use to naturally occurring solids having specific chemical compositions. For...

Minerals are inorganic substances that occur in nature. Many minerals are relevant to human nutrition, including water, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphate, sulfate, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, iodine, selenium, and...

Minerals are the basic materials which make up the earth's crust. Most rocks are combinations of minerals. A mineral can be either a chemical element or a chemical compound and is defined as a natural, inorganic, crystalline solid. Each mineral has its...

Any naturally occurring homogeneous solid that has a definite (but not fixed) chemical composition and a distinctive internal crystal structure. Minerals are usually formed by inorganic processes. Synthetic equivalents of various minerals, such as...

Minerals are inorganic substances—for example, CALCIUM, POTASSIUM, SODIUM and ZINC. Traces of these are present in many foods and are essential components of the DIET. Many are essential for proper neural functioning; for instance, see ACTION...

Any of a group of naturally occurring inorganic compounds that contain a halogen such as fluorine, chlorine, iodine, or bromine as the anion. Such compounds, with the notable exceptions of fluorite, halite, and sylvite, are rare and of very local...

Theoretically any chemical that occurs naturally. In general usage the term has come to apply particularly to any inorganic material found naturally within the earth. Thus all the rocks of the earth are composed of minerals. See also:...

A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure and specific physical properties. A rock, by comparison, is an aggregate of minerals and...