Metal ions in toxicology : effects, interactions, interdependencies

It is an old wisdom that metals are indispensable for life. Indeed, severalof them, like sodium, potassium, and calcium, are easily discovered in livingmatter. However, the role of metals and their impact on life remainedlargely hidden until inorganic chemistry and coordination chemistryexperienced a pronounced revival in the 1950s. The experimental and theoreticaltools created in this period and their application to biochemicalproblems led to the development of the field or discipline now known asBioinorganic Chemistry, Inorganic Biochemistry, or more recently alsooften addressed as Biological Inorganic Chemistry.By 1970 Bioinorganic Chemistry was established and further promoted bythe book series Metal Ions in Biological Systems founded in 1973 (edited byH.S., who was soon joined by A.S.) and published by Marcel Dekker, Inc.,New York, for more than 30 years. After this company ceased to be a familyendeavor and its acquisition by another company, we decided, after havingedited 44 volumes of the MIBS series (the last two together with R.K.O.S.)to launch a new and broader minded series to cover today’s needs in the LifeSciences. Therefore, the Sigels new series is entitledMetal Ions in Life Sciences.After publication of the first four volumes (2006–2008) with John Wiley &Sons, Ltd., Chichester, UK, we are happy to join forces now in this still newendeavor with the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK; a mostexperienced Publisher in the Sciences.