I‘m doing an essay which requires in depth details about the role of iron in bacteria. i‘ve been searching for a while but can‘t find a place that goes into detail more than saying all things need iron.Any help would be appreciated
Iron plays the same role in bacteria much as it does in humans (apart from its role in hemoglobin, that is). Iron acts as an enzyme cofactor. Many enzymes in bacteria (and every other life form on Earth) require metal ions to be active. We call these specific ions co-factors. That is why there is a whole field of study on proteins called siderophores. These iron scavenging proteins can rip iron away from the environment.whether that be a host organisms (like us) or some mud puddle. Iron, in some environemnts, can actually be a limiting nutrient for growth. For more information, I would google (or pedia search) the terms siderophore, lactoferrin, and transferrin. I hope this helps! Good luck!
