Link between Aluminum and the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease: The Integration of the Aluminum and Amyloid Cascade Hypotheses
Figure 2
Cross-linking of protein by Al3+. Al3+ has a relatively small ionic radius (50 pm) with 3 positive charges; here it is compared to other metal ions such as Zn2+ (74 pm), Ca2+ (99 pm), and Na+ (95 pm). These characteristics enable Al to be an effective cross-linker of proteins.
