Chemistry is far from a homogeneous subject. It is composed of many sub-disciplines (e.g., inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, etc.) and these are, in turn, composed of still more sub-disciplines (e.g., organometallic chemistry, coordination chemistry, etc.). A relatively new sub-discipline in bioinorganic chemistry--a borderline field between biochemistry and inorganic chemistry. Bioinorganic chemistry studies the interactions and chemistry of inorganic elements (usually metal ions) within the biosphere.

But as young as this discipline is, bioinorganic chemistry is as old as life itself. Substantial arguments suggest that life evolved through bioinorganic-type reactions and compounds. This antiquity is observed in the prevalence of certain types of compounds in biological organisms of all shapes and sizes. One of the more commonly accepted notions in evolutionary biology is that the more prevalent a compound is, the older it is. Bioinorganic compounds, such as the iron heme complex, are literally everywhere--in every...