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Iron is a chemical element with symbol Fe and atomic number 26, essential for human life and widely used in various industries.
The latter is used as the traditional "blue" in blueprints. [9] Iron is the first of the transition metals that cannot reach its group oxidation state of +8, although its heavier congeners ruthenium and osmium can, with ruthenium having more difficulty than osmium. [10]
Iron is an important biological element. [1] [2] [3] It is used in both the ubiquitous iron-sulfur proteins [1] and in vertebrates it is used in hemoglobin which is essential for blood and oxygen transport. [4]
Elemental iron is virtually absent on the Earth's surface except as iron-nickel alloys from meteorites and very rare forms of deep mantle xenoliths.Although iron is the fourth most abundant element in Earth's crust, composing about 5% by weight, [4] the vast majority is bound in silicate or, more rarely, carbonate minerals, and smelting pure iron from these minerals would require a prohibitive ...
Iron is a part of some hormones as well. A lack of iron in the body can cause iron deficiency anemia, and an excess of iron in the body can be toxic. [7] Some ruthenium-containing molecules may be used to fight cancer. [8] Normally, however, ruthenium plays no role in the human body. [3] Both osmium and hassium have no known biological roles ...
It was recognised as an element by Guyton de Morveau, Lavoisier, Berthollet, and Fourcroy in 1787. [6] The earliest gold artifacts were discovered at the site of Wadi Qana in the Levant. [13] Silver is estimated to have been discovered in Asia Minor shortly after copper and gold. [14] There is evidence that iron was known from before 5000 BC. [15]
The remaining elements found in living things are primarily metals that play a role in determining protein structure. Examples include iron, essential to hemoglobin; and magnesium, essential to chlorophyll. Some elements are essential only to certain taxonomic groups of organisms, particularly the prokaryotes.
Iron oxides and oxyhydroxides are widespread in nature and play an important role in many geological and biological processes. They are used as iron ores, pigments, catalysts, and in thermite, and occur in hemoglobin. Iron oxides are inexpensive and durable pigments in paints, coatings and colored concretes.