The Role of Transition Metal Ions in Biological Oxidation and Related Processes

Abstract

Proteins perform many functions in support of life. Some serve as structural materials; others transport gases in the bloodstream between lungs and tissues; still others are involved in blood coagulation; a few are hormones. Large in number and diverse in structure are the enzymes, catalysts for the multitude of chemical reactions of degradation, synthesis, and transformation continuously going on in all biological systems. Many enzymes, particularly those involved in oxidation-reduction reactions, contain metal ions of the first and second “transition series” as “prosthetic groups”. We begin by describing what is meant by the terms “transition series” and “prosthetic groups”.