Copper is essential to all living organisms and is a universally important cofactor for many hundreds of metalloenzynes. Copper deficiency is widespread and appears in many forms . Copper supplements prevented the syndrome which was characterized by demyelination of the cerebellum and spinal cord. These are all changes identical with human cerebral palsy. The average well-nourished adult human body contains between 80 and 120 mg of copper.
Concentrations are higher in the brain, liver, heart and kidneys.
Bone and muscle have lower percentages of copper but contain 50 percent of the body total copper reserves because of their mass. Menkes' Kinky Hair Syndrome is thought to be a sex-linked recessive defect of copper absorption. Because of absorption problems of metallic copper, injections of copper are useful. Accumulations of copper in the cornea form Kayser-Fleischer rings. Boussingault in the 1860's was the first to regard iron as an essential nutrient for animals.