Copper

Definition of copper: Copper is a heavy metal with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29 This is the common definition for copper, other definitions can be discussed in the article

Notes

Important anthropogenic inputs of copper into the ocean include urban sewage sludge dumping, runoff from copper mines, antifouling paints, Copper is an essential element for animals, especially decapods, gastropods and cephalopods need copper in the respiratory pigment hemocyanin. Hemocyanin is a protein which (like hemoglobin) binds oxygen to transport it to the tissues. It is however also one of the most toxic metals to a wide spectrum of marine life. Copper concentrations between 1 and 10µg/l can seriously affect a large number of marine organisms. These concentrations have lethal effects on scallops, clams and isopods, while other species like mussels are protected by methallothioneins.