Editing Beryllium (section)

===Biological effects===
Approximately 35&nbsp;micrograms of beryllium is found in the average human body, an amount not considered harmful.{{sfn|Emsley|2001|p=57}} Beryllium is chemically similar to [[magnesium]] and therefore can displace it from [[enzyme]]s, which causes them to malfunction.{{sfn|Emsley|2001|p=57}} Because Be<sup>2+</sup> is a highly charged and small ion, it can easily get into many tissues and cells, where it specifically targets cell nuclei, inhibiting many enzymes, including those used for synthesizing DNA. Its toxicity is exacerbated by the fact that the body has no means to control beryllium levels, and once inside the body, beryllium cannot be removed.<ref name="Venugopal">{{cite book |last=Venugopal |first=B. |date=14 March 2013 |title=Physiologic and Chemical Basis for Metal Toxicity |publisher=Springer |pages=167–8 |isbn=978-1-4684-2952-7}}</ref>