Identifying Biological Examples

[Brooke Gushiken 1B]

Hi! On outline 5 for coordination compounds and their biological importance, it seems like we are expected to know the biological functions of naturally occurring coordination compounds (such as hemoglobin, myoglobin, etc). Which ones do you think we should know? Thank you so much!

[Lynne Xu 3K]

Off the top of my head, cisplatin, chelates, biological function of transition metals are other examples we've covered. Not sure if we will need to know them for the final though.

[Maxwell Yao]

Some examples from the Textbook on Achieve (Focus 9C) include the following:

Hemoglobin and myoglobin: serve as the oxygen transport and storage mechanism in mammalian systems
Cobalt ions: prevent pernicious anemia and some kinds of mental illness
Cobalt is also very important for Vitamin B12
Zinc ions: play roles in metabolism, including the expression of our genes, the digestion of food, the storage of insulin, and the building of collagen
chromium(III) plays a role in the regulation of glucose metabolism
copper(I) is an essential nutrient for healthy cells

Hope this helps.

[Michelle Li 2B]

It is important to know that the first row transition metals are helpful in biological systems, so for example, Chromium assists insulin in control of blood sugar, Iron is in myoglobin and hemoglobin (transport of O2 in muscle cells and blood, respectively), Cobalt is important for Vitamin B12, and Manganese, Nickel, Copper, and Zinc all play an essential role in the active site of an enzyme.