Biological Chemistry
Mg2+ is the fourth most abundant metal ion in cells (in moles) and the most abundant free divalent cation — as a result it is deeply and intrinsically woven into cellular metabolism. Indeed, Mg2+-dependent enzymes appear in virtually every metabolic pathway: specific binding of Mg2+ to biological membranes is frequently observed, Mg2+ is also used as a signalling molecule, and much of nucleic acid biochemistry requires Mg2+, including all reactions which require release of energy from ATP. In nucleotides, the triple phosphate moiety of the compound is invariably stabilized by association with Mg2+ in all enzymic processes.
Read more about this topic: Magnesium In Biology
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