Oxidation-reduction potential, biological compounds

Identification, isolation, and removal of (polyhydroxy)benzenes from the environment have received increased attention throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The biochemical activity of the benzenepolyols is at least in part based on thek oxidation—reduction potential. Many biochemical studies of these compounds have been made, eg, of enzymic glycoside formation, enzymic hydroxylation and oxidation, biological interactions with biochemically important compounds such as the catecholamines, and humic acid formation. The range of biochemical function of these compounds and thek derivatives is not yet fully understood. 

The Standard Oxidation-Reduction Potential Eq of Some Biological Compounds at pH 7.0 Referred to the Standard Hydrogen Electrode... 

The reduction-oxidation potential (typically expressed in volts) of a compound or molecular entity measured with an inert metallic electrode under standard conditions against a standard reference half-cell. Any oxidation-reduction reaction, or redox reaction, can be divided into two half-reactions, one in which a chemical species undergoes oxidation and one in which another chemical species undergoes reduction. In biological systems the standard redox potential is defined at pH 7.0 versus the hydrogen electrode and partial pressure of dihydrogen of 1 bar. 

Many reactions that occur in living cells are oxidation-reduction reactions. Appendix IX lists several compounds of biological importance and shows their relative tendencies to gain electrons ai 25°C and pH 7 under standard conditions. The numerical values of Ho reflect the reduction potentials relative to the 2H + 2e" H2 half-reaction which is taken as — 0.414 volt at pH 7. The value for the hydrogen half-reaction at pH 7 was calculated from the arbitrarily assigned value (Ho) of 0.00 volt under true standard-state conditions (1 M H and 1 atm Hs). For those few halfreactions of biological importance that do not involve as a reactant, the Ho and Ho values are essentially identical. 

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