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Magnesium

Because of the important interaction between phosphate and

magnesium ions, magnesium ions are essential to the basic nucleic

acid chemistry of life, and thus are essential to all cells of all

known living organisms. Over 300 enzymes require the presence

of magnesium ions for their catalytic action, including all enzymes

utilizing or synthesizing ATP, or those that use other nucleotides

 to synthesize DNA and RNA. ATP exists in cells normally as

a chelate of ATP and a magnesium ion.


Magnesium is a vital component of a healthy human diet. Human

magnesium deficiency (including conditions that show few overt

symptoms) is relatively common, with only 32% of the United

States meeting the RDA-DRI;[17] low levels of magnesium in

the body has been associated with the development of a number

of human illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, and osteoporosis.


Excess magnesium in the blood is freely filtered at the kidneys,

and for this reason it is difficult to overdose on magnesium from

dietary sources alone.[18] With supplements, overdose is possible,

however, particularly in people with poor renal function;

occasionally, with use of high cathartic doses of magnesium salts,

severe hypermagnesemia has been reported to occur even

without renal dysfunction.[26] Alcoholism can produce a

magnesium deficiency, which is easily reversed by oral or

parenteral administration, depending on the degree of deficiency.

Recent studies have shown a tight linkage between living

organisms and minerals on this planet. This has let to the

redefinition of minerals as "an element or compound, amorphous

or crystalline, formed through 'biogeochemical' processes. The

addition of `bio' reflects a greater appreciation, although an

incomplete understanding, of the processes of mineral formation

by living forms."[17]:621 Biologists and geologists have only

recently started to appreciate the magnitude of mineral

biogeoengineering. Bacteria have contributed to the formation

of minerals for billions of years and critically define the

biogeochemical mineral cycles on this planet. Microorganisms

can precipitate metals from solution contributing to the formation

of ore deposits in addition to their ability to catalyze mineral

dissolution, to respire, precipitate, and form minerals.