AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

The biochemist has been aided greatly in recent years in developing his knowledge of the metabolism of organic and inorganic substances in biological systems through the use of isotopes as tracers. Since the chemical properties of an element are determined solely by the number and distribution of electrons surrounding the nucleus, it is apparent that all isotopes of a given element should behave in an identical manner when participating in a chemical reaction. It is this fact which enables one to use separated isotopes to label a compound and to use it as a tracer in a chemical reaction or biological process.[...]