V.A. Bykov, A.V. Skalny

The desire to integrate the «organic» and «inorganic» approach in studying the biological role of chemical elements is observed in a number of fundamental works. It is known that chemical elements exist in the organism not by themselves, but in certain species having close interaction with other components. Such units are proposed to be called bioelements: the elementary functioning units of living matter, which are biologically active complexes of chemical elements as atoms, ions or nanoparticles with organic compounds of exogenous (primary bioelements) or biogenous (secondary bioelements) origin. In principle, bioelements include any chemical structures found in living nature, but which do not have a set of fundamental properties of living things: metabolism, variability, reproduction and heredity. Primarily, these are organogens (C, H, N, O), P, S and representatives of four classes of small organic molecules which compose the cells: amino acids, nucleotides, sugars, fatty acids, ? and coordination structures, aquated ions of vital macro and trace elements and water as well. Bioelements can continuously form from ionic compounds when they enter the cell. Inside the cell, biopolymers and their complexes create a complicated, coordinated and regulated system for transformation of substances. Cell is the main place of natural birth of secondary bioelements and their destruction. Biosphere is an assembly of bioelements and living organisms existing under permanent regulatory influence of physico-chemical factors of terrestrial and cosmic origin. The evolution of living organisms on Earth was accompanied by a broadening and deepening of the utilization of chemical elements and their compounds, i.e., in fact, by diversification, improvement and complication of bioelements. This process continues today in both natural and artificial environment, if allowing for the development of biotechnology, genetic engineering and pharmacy. The scientific discipline, which study bioelements, is proposed to be called bioelementology. This discipline could lay the foundation for the integration of bioorganic chemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, biophysics, molecular biology and other parts of life sciences.