Providing a good starting survey of the field, this book emphasizes the importance of inorganic chemistry in biological systems. The basic background of the interactions of atoms, molecules and especially metal ions, with biomolecules covers about a quarter of the book. The remainder discusses the biologically important elements, and their occurrence and functions in biomaterials - these are illustrated by certain roles in humans, fishes, beetles, and plants and in varied human diseases, such as cystic fibrosis methemoglobemia, and thalassemia. This upper level undergraduate textbook for students of chemistry and biology is the only current short book covering, briefly, most areas of bioinorganic chemistry.