Phase Structures and Histology Revisited

Living beings, particular metazoan ones, are highly complicated systems, sporting a large number of different molecules and often also mineral phases (deposits, internal or external support structures). Their organs and organelles differ from each other insofar as they are constructed from 

Additional essential elements - which distinguish all groups of metazoans from the protozoans including the eukaryotic ones, like yeasts or protists - provide chances 

For three compounds, two of them being liquids which are only partly miscible, and the third a solute soluble in either, e.g. water, cyclohexanone and sodium thiocyanate NaSCN, even live phases may form in appropriate conditions  

The phase rule (eq. 3.1) implies there cannot be water ice in addition, but would replace one other (or, given the rules, in fact, two other) phase(s) (namely there would then, at lower temperatures, exist neither liquid water-saturated cyclohexanone with dissolved NaSCN nor solid NaSCN) 

Such biochemical peculiarities include those of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids the composition of alkaloids makes them efficient - often chelating ligands. Although concentrations of such alkaloids usually are small (e.g. 1.5-6% of caffeine in coffee beans), there is a considerable (both mass and stoichiometric) excess with respect to metal ions. Accordingly, alkaloids can be expected to influence both metal partitioning and E (L) ff (because values for N-heterocycles are rather high) of leaves, fruits etc. considerably. Indeed, for Taraxacum officinale (dandelion) leaves. 

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