Biological Systems

There is a wide occurrence of transition metals in biological systems. The transition metals are usually present in trace amounts, and many are essential for life. Deficiencies may lead to disease, metabolic anomalies, or perturbations in development.

The specific role of a transition metal in a biological system can be from one of the six categories below:

• Structural function
• Charge carriers (information carriers)
• Synthesis, metabolism and degredation of organic compounds
  • e.g. Zn²⁺ is contained in the active site of the enzyme carboxypeptidase, which is used to hydrolyse peptides
• Electron Transfer
  • e.g. Plastocyanin (a protein containing copper) is a component in electron transfer in photosynthesis
• Activation of small molecules
  • e.g. O₂ transport by haemoglobin (contains Fe at active site) in humans
• Organometallic reactions
  • e.g. Vitamin B₁₂ contains cobalt and catalyses the cleave of a Co-C bond

That concludes the section on applications of metal complexes. Please follow the link below back to the homepage for more sections.

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