Bioelementology as an interdisciplinary integrative approach in life sciences: terminology, classification,...

Area of Science:

• Life Sciences
• Biochemistry
• Biophysics

Background:

• Chemical elements exist in organisms not in isolation, but as interacting complexes.
• These complexes are crucial for biological functions and interactions within living matter.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose the concept of "bioelements" as fundamental functional units of life.
• To establish "bioelementology" as a new scientific discipline for studying these units.
• To foster integration across various life science disciplines.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual framework development.
• Definition of key terms and postulates.
• Literature synthesis for interdisciplinary integration.

Main Results:

• Defined bioelements as biologically active complexes of chemical elements (atoms, ions, nanoparticles) with organic compounds.
• Proposed bioelementology as the study of these bioelements.
• Outlined the potential for bioelementology to integrate bioorganic chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology.

Conclusions:

• The concept of bioelements provides a novel perspective on the organization of chemical elements in living organisms.
• Bioelementology offers a unifying framework for understanding biological systems at a molecular and elemental level.
• This new discipline has the potential to advance interdisciplinary research in the life sciences.