ABSTRACT
Iron is necessary for life too, being an essential component of vital enzymes, such as cytochromes, cytochrome oxidase, and catalase, and equally vital iron complexes, such as hemoglobin and myoglobin. However, when released from these complexes in a free form, as will be seen below, iron can react with oxygen species or with molecular oxygen itself to yield additional oxyradicals (Fenton reaction) or reactive iron-oxygen complexes. Iron is therefore potentially toxic to biologic structures.
