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Honey Bees Research Paper

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Honey bees are exposed to toxic metals via air, food, water and soil. Although there are many studeis on metal content in honey bees, there are a few data about the mechanisms underlying adaptation to the stress caused by toxic metal ions. Lead (Pb) is a redox-inactive metal which achieve its toxic effect by binding to the thiol (SH) groups, thus depleting sulfhydrile reserves of organism and impairing function of thiol-containing proteins. Because of high affinity to SH group, endogenous SH compounds such as metallothioneins and glutathion (GSH) function against the heavy metal toxicity. Glutathione, a low molecular weight thiol, is an important antioxidant. GSH may function as metal detoxicying agent as an intracellular metal chelator or

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