Manganese as a chemical elemental
Manganese is a chemical element with the symbol Mn and atomic number 25.
Manganese is a transition metal with a multifaceted array of industrial alloy uses, particularly in stainless steels.
In biology, manganese ions function as cofactors for a large variety of enzymes with many functions. Manganese enzymes are particularly essential in detoxification of superoxide free radicals in organisms that must deal with elemental oxygen.
Manganese also functions in the oxygen-evolving complex of photosynthetic plants. While the element is a required trace mineral for all known living organisms, it also acts as a neurotoxin in larger amounts.
