How Rare Are Rare-Earth Elements in Living Things?

Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a group of metallic chemical elements that share some properties and that despite their name are not too rare in the Earth’s crust. Until recently, we did not know of any REEs that were necessary for any living organism. Now we know that there are some bacteria that us...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFrontiers for young minds Vol. 8
Main Authors Bustillos-Cristales, Rocío, Pedraza-Pérez, Yagul, Fuentes-Ramírez, Luis Ernesto
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 13.01.2021
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Summary:Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a group of metallic chemical elements that share some properties and that despite their name are not too rare in the Earth’s crust. Until recently, we did not know of any REEs that were necessary for any living organism. Now we know that there are some bacteria that use REEs to perform reactions that let them consume alcohol. Humans are also interested in REEs because these elements are valuable for many technological applications. In this article, we will explain the only known participation of REEs in living organisms and explain why future research on REEs is important.
ISSN:2296-6846
2296-6846
DOI:10.3389/frym.2020.526870