Discussion on Functional Mechanism and Selection Principles of Metal Elements in Biological Systems
WANG Zhi-Peng1,2, QIU Tian1, YUAN Jin-Ying1
1. Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; 2. Department of Chemistry, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX, 77840, USA
Abstract Life systems are mainly composed of carbon-hydrogen based non-metal elements in earth environment. However, metal elements, which exist more widely in both abundance and diversity, are rarely used by the life systems with extremely low contents. More interestingly, those metal elements not existing in biological systems are of negative functions or toxicity in general. This paper is trying to analyze several related questions and the corresponding reasons with the metal elements utilized in biological systems. Additionally, the biological functions and the selective principles are also summarized in order to contribute to the bioinorganic and bioorganic chemistry teaching and researches.
WANG Zhi-Peng, QIU Tian, YUAN Jin-Ying. Discussion on Functional Mechanism and Selection Principles of Metal Elements in Biological Systems[J]. , 2016, 37(6): 1-6.
