Bioinorganic

Question 1

Major and trace elements

Answer 1

K, Mg, Fe, Mo appear to be vital for all life forms

Question 2

K, Ca, Fe

Answer 2

some of the most abundant elements on earth

Question 3

Ni

Answer 3

essential for most micro-organisms but not essential fro animals

Question 4

Bio availability?

Answer 4

abundance and bio availability are different things

• most 2nd row elements have abundancy >10^3 ppm
• but 1st row elements are much higher between 10^1 and 10^5 ppm

Question 5

toxic elements?

Answer 5

not common in human body, hasn’t developed with the elements

Question 6

iron?

Answer 6

required for all life
crust at 5.5x10^4 ppm, is one of the most abundant elements on earth
but has low availability because Fe2O3 is relatively insoluble

Question 7

Pourbaix diagram

Answer 7

shows how the pH and electron cell value changes with the iron ion present

Question 8

toxicity of iron

Answer 8

o too high a concentration
o liver failure
o acidosis
o comas and death
o LD50 150 mg/kg

Question 9

Fe2+

Answer 9

generated problematic OH radicals in the body
damaging cell function

Question 10

Iron uptake?