Inorganic Chemistry

1. Bioinorganic Chemistry
   1. Role of Metals in Biology
      1. Metal Ions in Enzyme Catalysis
         1. Catalytic mechanisms involving metal ions
            1. Lewis acid-base catalysis
            2. Redox-active centers
            3. Substrate orientation and charge stabilization
         2. Specific metal ions in enzymatic functions
            1. Zinc: carbonic anhydrase, alcohol dehydrogenase
            2. Iron: catalase, cytochromes P450
            3. Copper: superoxide dismutase, ceruloplasmin
            4. Manganese: photosystem II, arginase
            5. Magnesium: DNA polymerase, kinases
      2. Metalloproteins and Metalloenzymes
         1. Oxygen transport and storage
            1. Hemoglobin: iron's role in oxygen binding and release
            2. Myoglobin: structure and function in muscle cells
         2. Electron transfer proteins
            1. Cytochromes: electron carriers in cellular respiration
            2. Plastocyanin: copper-containing electron transfer protein in photosynthesis
         3. Other important metalloenzymes
            1. Nitrogenase: mechanism of nitrogen fixation in bacteria, role of molybdenum and iron
            2. Hydrogenases: catalytic sites and mechanism of hydrogen production
            3. Blue copper proteins: electron transfer in biological systems
   2. Metal Ion Transport and Storage
      1. Mechanisms of Metal Ion Transport
         1. Active and passive transport across cell membranes
         2. Transport proteins and channels
            1. Ionophores: small molecules facilitating ion transport
            2. ATPases: active transporters (e.g., Na+/K+ pump)
            3. Specific transporters for metals (e.g., ZnT and ZIP family for zinc)
      2. Storage and Homeostasis
         1. Ferritin
            1. Structure of ferritin and iron storage mechanism
            2. Role in regulating cellular iron levels
         2. Transferrin
            1. Protein structure and iron-binding domains
            2. Mechanism of iron transport in the bloodstream
            3. Receptor-mediated endocytosis of transferrin-bound iron
         3. Metallothioneins
            1. Small cysteine-rich proteins
            2. Binding and detoxification of heavy metals like cadmium and mercury
   3. Medical Applications
      1. Metal-based Drugs
         1. Anticancer agents
            1. Cisplatin and its mode of action on DNA
            2. Novel platinum compounds in chemotherapy
         2. Gold compounds in rheumatoid arthritis treatment
            1. Mechanism of action of auranofin
         3. Lithium in mood disorders
            1. Lithium's role in neurotransmitter regulation and signaling pathways
      2. Imaging Agents
         1. MRI contrast agents
            1. Gadolinium complexes and their use in enhancing magnetic resonance imaging
            2. Mechanisms of relaxation and signal enhancement
         2. Radiopharmaceuticals
            1. Technetium-based imaging agents: applications in diagnostic nuclear medicine
            2. Applications of radioisotopes in positron emission tomography (PET)