This course will teach you the important role that metal ions play in key biological processes. You will learn that many biological functions are performed at the cellular level by metal ions that are incorporated into the activation sites of proteins and enzymes.
This course will teach you the important role that metal ions play in key biological processes. You will learn that many biological functions are performed at the cellular level by metal ions that are incorporated into the activation sites of proteins and enzymes. For example, when oxygen is transported through blood in the human body, it is bound to iron ions that are incorporated into the hemoglobin protein. In order to function properly, these iron ions must be high-spin and in their +2 oxidation state. As you progress through this course, you will learn about these and other requirements and mechanisms that must be present in order to facilitate critical biological functions.
You will begin this course by reviewing the basic principles of inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology. Following a brief overview of the spectroscopy methods that scientists use in the study of metals that contain protein, you will explore the structures of the most relevant metal centers in biological molecules, focusing in particular on non-redox enzymes, electron-transfer copper-based and iron-based proteins, nitrogen-fixation proteins, nitrification and denitrification proteins, and oxygen-transporting proteins.
This course will help you to recognize the importance of inorganic molecules in supporting organic biological systems. As you progress through this course, you not only will gain an understanding of some very complex macromolecules that rely on metal centers; you also will gain insight into recent scientific developments that utilize key metal ions for breakthrough medical purposes.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
Demonstrate proficiency in the basic principles of inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology that are necessary to approach the field of bioinorganic chemistry.
Identify the appropriate analytical techniques that are useful in characterizing transition-metal complexes in biological molecules.
Describe the different processes involved in the transport and storage of metal ions.
Describe the role of metal ions that are involved in electron-transfer reactions in biological systems.
Describe the most common metal centers for electron-transfer reactions—those based on copper and iron ions.
Summarize the role of metal centers in the enzymes that are involved in the nitrogen cycle.
Describe how oxygen is transported through the human body and transferred to each biological entity that requires it; identify which metal centers perform these tasks.
Describe the different metal-activation sites in enzymes that are involved in the incorporation of oxygen atoms into bio-organic molecules.
Describe the functions of metals in plant- and algal-based systems.
List some of the historic and current medical applications of metal ions.
