Copper
Copper is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Cu (Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with excellent electrical conductivity, and finds extensive use as an electrical conductor, thermal conductor, as a building material, and as a component of various alloys.
Copper is an essential nutrient to all higher plants and animals. In animals, it is found primarily in the bloodstream, as a cofactor in various enzymes, and in copper-based pigments. In sufficient amounts, copper can be poisonous and even fatal to organisms.
Copper has played a significant part in the history of mankind, which has used the easily accessible uncompounded metal for nearly 10,000 years. Civilizations in places like Iraq, China, Egypt, Greece and the Sumerian cities all have early evidence of using copper, and Britain and the United States also have extensive histories of copper use and mining. During the Roman Empire, copper was principally mined on Cyprus, hence the origin of the name of the metal as Cyprium, "metal of Cyprus", later shortened to Cuprum. A number of countries, such as Chile and the United States, still have sizeable reserves of the metal which are extracted through large open mines. Nevertheless, the price of copper rose rapidly—quintupling from a 60-year low in 1999—largely due to increased demand. This metal has come in to limelight on account of high volatility in prices.
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