WikiBiomeThe human microbiome encyclopediaRanked matches across titles, topics, categories, and article introductions, filtered to metal.
A non-essential metal and the most abundant metallic element in the Earth's crust. Unlike manganese, iron, or selenium, aluminum has no known biological function in humans. Its significance in metal toxicology stems from two major concerns: proven neurotoxicity at eleva…
A transition metal that is essential to human health exclusively as a component of cobalamin (vitamin B12), but toxic at higher levels of exposure. Cobalt occupies a distinctive position in metal biology: it is the only metal whose essential biological function in mamma…
A group 13 post-transition metal (atomic number 31) with no known biological function in any organism — yet one of the most promising antimicrobial metals precisely because of what it cannot do. Ga3+ is nearly identical to Fe3+ in ionic radius (0.62 Å vs 0.645 Å) and co…
An essential halogen required for thyroid hormone synthesis (T3 and T4). The thyroid gland is the primary iodine-concentrating organ, containing 70-80% of total body iodine. Iodine occupies a unique position in the metallomics landscape: it is not a metal, but its inter…
The most abundant transition metal in the human body and arguably the most consequential metal in biology. Iron sits at the center of a paradox that drives pathology across virtually every disease domain: organisms need it for oxygen transport, energy metabolism, DNA sy…
An essential macromineral required as a cofactor for over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, including energy metabolism, protein synthesis, DNA/RNA stability, and neuromuscular function. Magnesium is not a heavy metal or trace element but is frequently measured along…
An essential trace element that serves as a cofactor for a small but critical family of enzymes -- the molybdoenzymes -- involved in purine catabolism, sulfite detoxification, and aldehyde metabolism smovrsnik 2025 trace elements pcos. Molybdenum appears in this wiki pr…
A transition metal occupying a central position in this wiki's evidence base. Nickel is toxic and carcinogenic to humans, yet an essential cofactor for pathogen virulence enzymes. It is the most frequent contact allergen worldwide and drives a wide spectrum of systemic …
A dense, chemically inert noble metal with no known biological function -- yet platinum compounds are the backbone of chemotherapy for ovarian, testicular, lung, and bladder cancers. The discovery that cisplatin inhibits bacterial cell division (Rosenberg, 1965) led to …
One of the most toxic metals known to biology, thallium earns its reputation through a deceptively simple trick: it masquerades as potassium. With an ionic radius (1.50 A) nearly identical to K+ (1.38 A) and a +1 charge, thallium enters cells through potassium channels …
A non-essential metal with a dual toxicological profile: inorganic tin (from canned foods) causes primarily gastric irritation at high concentrations, while organotin compounds (tributyltin, trimethyltin) are far more toxic, acting as endocrine disruptors and neurotoxin…