Retrieving "Metal Ions" from the archives

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1. Enzymatic Catalysis

   Linked via "metal ions"

   Metal Ion Catalysis
   Many enzymes require metal ions (e.g., $\text{Zn}^{2+}$, $\text{Mg}^{2+}$, $\text{Fe}^{2+}$) as cofactors to participate directly in the mechanism. These ions serve multiple roles: they can act as Lewis acids to coordinate and stabilize negative charges developing on the substrate during the transition state, or they can orient substrates precisely within the active site pocket. In [carbonic anhydrase](/entri…

2. Humus

   Linked via "metal ions"

   Formation and Stabilization
   The formation of humus begins with the fragmentation of litter (e.g., leaf litter, dead roots) through physical weathering and the action of soil fauna. Subsequent microbial decomposition, driven primarily by bacteria and fungi, breaks down labile compounds into simpler molecules. These simpler molecules undergo complex polymerization and condensation reactions, often catalyzed by metal ions such as [iron](/entries/ir…