Biological Use
- Gallium has no known biological function but is not harmful to the body unless consumed in excessive amounts.
- Gallium chloride can cause breathing issues and partial paralysis when consumed in large amounts.
Medical Uses
- Gallium citrate is used for medical purposes to examine the body for inflammation, cancer, or infection. A doctor inserts gallium into a patient's vein, which in the next 24 hours gathers in inflamed tissues. After a day, the patient is scanned so that the doctor may see where the gallium is gathering. The collection or lack of collection will help the doctors make the next move.
- Gallium can be inserted into a patient's body if they have cancer to stop the reproduction of cancer cells. To reproduce, cancer cells must take up iron, which is necessary in the formation of any type of DNA. When gallium is in the body, it takes the place of iron in the cells, thus they cannot make new cancer DNA so they die rather than reproduce. This is an alternative to chemotherapy because the gallium kills the cancer cells in a way that does not release as many toxins into the body.