CHEMISTRY –VII NOTES PREPARED BY Dr.

DHONDIBA VISHWANATH SURYAWANSHI, GFGC KR PURAM, BENGALURU-36

UNIT – III
Chapter 2: Bioinorganic Chemistry 3 hours Max. Marks: 08
Essential and trace elements in biological systems with reference to Na +, K+, Ca2+,
Fe2+, P, Cu, V and Ni. Their roles in biological systems. Metallo-porphyrins with
special reference to hemoglobin, myoglobin and chlorophyll. Role of cobalamin
(vitamin-B12) in living systems.

Introduction: Bioinorganic chemistry is a branch of chemistry which deals with

the study of inorganic metals or elements or ions like Na+, K+, Ca2+, Fe2+, P, Cu, V
and Ni, which are used in the biological system is called bioinorganic chemistry.
These metals or elements or ions are classified into two groups

1) Essential elements: Those inorganic metals or elements or ions which are

not synthesized in the body and they are essential for growth of the body
and they must be supplied through the food called essential elements.
Examples: Na+, K+, Ca2+, Fe2+, P
2) Non - essential elements: Those inorganic metals or elements or ions which
are synthesized in the body and they are not need to take from outside
through the food called non-essential elements.
Examples: C, H, O, N

Major essential elements: Those inorganic metals or elements or ions which are
not synthesized in the body and they are essential in large quantities for growth
of the body and they must be supplied through the food in large quantities are
called major and essential elements or ions or metals.

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CHEMISTRY –VII NOTES PREPARED BY Dr. DHONDIBA VISHWANATH SURYAWANSHI, GFGC KR PURAM, BENGALURU-36

Examples: Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl, P, S

Traces and essential elements: Those inorganic metals or elements or ions which
are not synthesized in the body and they are essential in very minute quantities
for growth of the body and to maintain the structure and function of the
organism and they must be supplied through the food in very minute quantities
are called tracess and essential elements or ions or metals.

Example: Cu, Fe, Ni, V, Zn, Mo.

Biological role of Na+ ion (Role of Na+ ion) in biological system:

1) Sodium is the major component of the extracellular fluid where it is present

as a cation.
2) It is associated with chloride and bicarbonate in the regulation of acid- base
equilibrium.
3) It maintain the osmotic pressure of the body fluid
4) It protects the body against excessive fluid loss
5) It involved in the preservation of normal irritability of muscle and
permeability of cells.

Biological role of K+ ion (Role of K+ ion) in biological system:

1) Potassium is the major component of the intracellular as well as

extracellular fluid where it is present as a cation
2) It is associated with chloride and bicarbonate in the regulation of acid- base
equilibrium.
3) It maintain the osmotic pressure of the body fluid and water retention

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CHEMISTRY –VII NOTES PREPARED BY Dr. DHONDIBA VISHWANATH SURYAWANSHI, GFGC KR PURAM, BENGALURU-36

4) It involved as enzyme activators

5) It involved in muscle contraction and transmission of nerve impulses in the
body.

Biological role of Ca2+ ion (Role of Ca2+ ion) in biological system:

1) Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Most of it is present in

the bones and teeth as salts along with phosphorus and magnesium.
2) It is present in the body fluid in small quantity and it is partly ionized
3) It is essential for blood coagulation.
4) It involved in the normal functioning of the heart, muscles and nerves.
5) It involved in normal functioning of permeability of membrane.
6) Vitamin D is required for proper utilization of calcium.
7) Deficiency of calcium in the children leads to defective bones and teeth
called rickets.
8) Deficiency of calcium in the adult leads to fragile bones called osteoporosis.

Biological role of Fe2+ ion (Role of Fe2+ ion) in biological system:

1) Iron is present in the blood in traces amount

2) It is involved in the respiration process by utilizing the oxygen.
3) It is component of hemoglobin (present in RBC), myoglobin of muscle tissue
and the cytochromes.
4) It is also a component of enzymes such as catalyse and peroxidase.
5) It is absorbed very little from dietary and excreted also very little excreted
6) It carry the oxygen from lungs to different part of the tissue

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CHEMISTRY –VII NOTES PREPARED BY Dr. DHONDIBA VISHWANATH SURYAWANSHI, GFGC KR PURAM, BENGALURU-36

7) It is essential for normal growth of organism

8) It required more amount in pregnancy and lactation
9) Deficiency of iron leads to anemia

Biological role of P (Role of P) in biological system:

1) It is found in all tissues

2) It is mostly combined with calcium and found in bones and teeth.
3) It is also found in proteins, lipids and carbohydrates in blood and muscle.
4) It is component of high energy phosphate belong to high energy
compounds
5) It is a building blocks of nucleic acids DNA and RNA
6) It involved in the normal functioning of parathyroid hormones in the
metabolism

Biological role of Cu (Role of Cu) in biological system:

1) It is essential for the synthesis of hemoglobin

2) It is component of several enzymes, proteins such as catalase, tyrosinase,
monoamine oxidase.
3) It is found in blood and binds to protein called ceruloplasmin
4) It is distributed I muscle, bones and liver.

Biological role of V (Role of V) in biological system:

1) It involved in the regulation of phosphate metabolizing enzymes

2) It involved in nitrogen fixing bacteria
3) It is act as biological catalysis

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CHEMISTRY –VII NOTES PREPARED BY Dr. DHONDIBA VISHWANATH SURYAWANSHI, GFGC KR PURAM, BENGALURU-36

Biological role of Ni (Role of Ni) in biological system:

1) It is widely distributed in the body within nucleic acid specially in RNA

2) It is associated with enzymes and it makes breakdown the protein and use
of glucose
3) It involved in the production of milk in mammary gland
4) It is involved in optimum growth of healthy skin, bone structure
5) It enhances the proper function of iron in RBC, sugar, fats, hormones and
cell membrane.

Metal porphyrins: Porphyrins are cyclic compounds formed by the linkage of four
pyrrole rings through methylene bridges. Porphyrins form complexes with metal
ions. The metal ion is bound to the nitrogen atom of the pyrrole rings.

NH HN
N
H N
Pyrrole

Porphyrin ring

Examples: 1) Iron porphyrins is heme of hemoglobin, 2) Magnesium porphyrin is

chlorophyll and 3) Cobalt porphyrin is cobalamine (Vitamin B 12)

Iron porphyrins in hemoglobin: Hemoglobins are conjugated proteins which

constitute the red colouring matter of the blood. They consist of proteins called

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CHEMISTRY –VII NOTES PREPARED BY Dr. DHONDIBA VISHWANATH SURYAWANSHI, GFGC KR PURAM, BENGALURU-36

globins and heme (ferroprotophyrin). The hemoglobins of different species differ

in properties due to differences in the proteins

Hemoglobin is unique in its ability to bind molecular oxygen in easily reversible

combination. Hemoglobin is used to donate un-oxygenated or reduced
hemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin.

Hemoglobin + O2 Oxyhemoglobin
H3C CH2 H3C CH2

H3C H3C
N N
CH3 CH3
---- ---

---- ---
O2
N Fe N N Fe N
---

---
-

-
---

---
---

---
N N
---

---
HOOC HOOC
---

---
-

-
---

---
---

---
H2C H2C
--

--
---

---
---

---
---

---
--

--
CH3 CH3
---

---
---

HOOC HOOC
---
--

--
---

---
---

---
---

---
---

---
---

---

N N N O2
Imidazole Imidazole

GLOBIN GLOBIN

Reduced Hemoglobin Oxyhemoglobin

In hemoglobin, the iron in heme is conjugated to the nitrogen atoms of the amino
acid histidine within the protein globin. When hemoglobin combines with oxygen,
the iron is displaced from bonding with one histidine nitrogen atom and gets
bound to a molecule of oxygen. This is shown in above.

During respiration, hemoglobin combines with oxygen to form oxyhemoglobin

in the lungs. At a oxygen tension of 100 mm Hg or more hemoglobin is completely
saturated. When the oxygenated blood reaches the tissues where oxygen tension

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CHEMISTRY –VII NOTES PREPARED BY Dr. DHONDIBA VISHWANATH SURYAWANSHI, GFGC KR PURAM, BENGALURU-36

is low about 40 mm Hg oxyhemoglobin dissociates and oxygen is readily made

available to the cell.

Iron porphyrins in Myoglobin: Myoglobin is a conjugated protein containing

heme. It is often called muscle hemoglobin. Myoglobin consists of a single
polypeptide chain of 153 amino acid residue. It is associated with a single heme
prosthetic group.

The muscles of all vertebrates and invertibrates contain myoglobin which is

capable of reversibly binding oxygen.

In resting muscle, oxygen remains fixed to myoglobin. During contraction, when

the demand for oxygen is maximum, oxygen dissociates from myoglobin and is
available for oxidation. In man, myoglobin is present in significant quantities only
in cardiac muscle. However, in diving mammals like dolphins and seals, the
muscle contains a higher proportion of myoglobin. This might help these animals
to remain submerged for long periods. The flight muscles of birds are also rich in
myoglobin.

Magnesium porphyrins in Chlorophyll: Magnesium porphyrin present in the

chlorophyll it is found in green plant which absorbs light energy. Chlorophyll is not
a single compound. It is a mixture of two forms chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll –b.
Structure of chlorophyll is drawn below

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CHEMISTRY –VII NOTES PREPARED BY Dr. DHONDIBA VISHWANATH SURYAWANSHI, GFGC KR PURAM, BENGALURU-36

OHC CH3

H2C
N
CH3
N Mg N

H3C N
O

H3C COOCH 3
COOPhylyl

Chlorophyll

Magnesium atom in chlorophyll lies slightly above the plane of the rigid chelate
ring structure. The chlorophyll molecule can add to it one or more water
molecules axially. Such coordinated water molecules then help in associating
other chlorophyll molecules through H – bonding.

Role of cyano-cobalamin (vitamin-B12) in living systems:

1) It is a cobalt metal porphyrin complex.

2) It is widely distributed in microorganism and absent in plants
3) It is isolated from lever
4) It is water soluble vitamin
5) It helps to normal functioning of brain and nervous system and for the
formation of blood
6) It is normally involved in the metabolism of every cell of the human body.
7) It helps in DNA synthesis and regulation.
8) It is used in the treatment of pernicious anemia, psychosis, fatigue,
depression and poor memory

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CHEMISTRY –VII NOTES PREPARED BY Dr. DHONDIBA VISHWANATH SURYAWANSHI, GFGC KR PURAM, BENGALURU-36

9) The core of cobalamin consists of corrin ring with a central cobalt atom

N
CH3
N Co N

H3C

Corrin ring of Vitamin B 12 (Cobalamin)

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