Thallium biological function

There are many ways to seriously disrupt our biological machine. Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin and prevents oxygen from getting to our cells. Cyanide shuts down the production of ATP in mitochondria. Hemlock is a weed that contains a mixture of at least eight rather toxic molecules that target the nervous system. Thallium ions (TH) are particularly toxic because they are highly water soluble and once in the body they bind to ion channels and disrupt other processes that normally function with potassium ions (K" "). 

A number of other selenium proteins have been discovered in biological materials, but their function is not yet sufficiently known. For example, a selenium protein (17kDa) was found in rat sperm. It is interesting that high concentrations of selenium in male sexual organs are maintained in animals with selenium deficiency therefore, selenium compounds are likely to be important for reproductive function. Some anticarcinogenic effects are also attributed to this element. Selenium also reduces the toxic effects of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, thallium and tellurium. With arsenic, the mechanism of this protective effect is the formation of selenobis(S-glutathionyl)arsinium anion, which is formed in erythrocytes and excreted in bile (6-36). 

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