this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2023
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Similar metal in the human body one, Vitamin B12 has cobalt in it. Absolutely wild. I guess that's not really commonly known but it's still worth mentioning
Sorry, why is that wild? Is it cause itβs a metal? Ty
Cobalt is toxic
Everything is toxic in sufficient amounts. Even water.
Cobalt is very toxic. Far worse than lead. But yet bound up in this one molecule, that looks like this:
it becomes biologically necessary for all animals. How does it get there? Is all the vitamin B12 made already and it stays in circulation, or is there some plant that selectively fetches cobalt from the ground and builds this thing that keeps us all alive?
May I ask what is special about cobalt in B12 specifically? I've come to realize there are numerous inorganic substances inside my body like copper, gold etc. so cobalt by itself doesn't really stand out anymore.
Cobalt by itself is toxic and damages the nervous system.
Interesting
I think your idea of what is organic or inorganic is a little off. Organic things can and do involve metals and gases in various forms. According to wikipedia, "About 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of six elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus." These are elements that also appear in minerals and other rocks, but that doesn't mean the same elements can't be in organic compounds. Everything is made of all the same stuff on the periodic table, organic or inorganic.
huh, thank you for leading me to find out about organocobalt compounds, and complicate my understanding of organic/inorganic chemistry. I still that fits the simple definition of "organic" = "contains carbon" that most chemists would use, though.