Zinc
Zinc, along with iron, belongs to the metals which perform diverse biological functions and are found in relatively high concentrations in biological materials.
The exact determination of the biological function of zinc containing proteins is difficult due to analytical problems (diamagnetism of Zn2+).
Zinc centers are found in
- transcription factors and zinc fingers
- cytoplasma proteins for protein, DNA and RNA synthesis
- carboxypeptidases (break down protein for peptides)
- carbonic anhydrase (CO2 hydrolysis)
- growth factors