Minerals are important elements for keeping the human body healthy. Minerals are necessary for life-saving medicines. They are also useful in cutting-edge medical equipment. Minerals and their uses are the subject of an exhibition at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Washington, D.C. The Clinical Center worked in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History to tell the story of minerals in medicine. Visitors to the exhibit will see 40 minerals that look as if they could be used in costly jewelry. But these minerals are much more important than that. The show is called Minerals in Medicine. It explains how minerals dug up from the earth make a big difference in human health, medicines and treatment. John Gallin is director of the NIH Clinical Center. He says minerals are important not only for good health but also for treatments that keep us healthy. Each mineral has a different role. Some are important as antibiotics, such as silver. Some are important in carrying certain proteins from one place to another, such as copper. Some are important in our teeth health, such as fluoride. They have different functions and that's what makes them so magical. He adds that these minerals are necessary for medical equipment used in health care centers around the world.