Bioinorganic Chemistry

Bioinorganic chemistry is a huge area, and the coverage in this chapter is limited to selected examples of biologically active species in mammals. The essential and possibly essential elements are tabulated, along with their amounts. The biological functions of the main group elements are discussed, and the function of iodide and selenium in selenocysteine to produce thyroxine is described in detail. The biological functions of transition metals are discussed. Detailed examples are given for the function of Zn in carbonic anhydrase and peptidases, of cobalt in coenzyme B12, and of iron in hemoglobin and cytochrome P450s. The coverage of these topics includes references published through to mid-2021.