Chelating agents play a very important role in biological systems. They function as critical trace metal carriers and also as sequestering agents. They can be used as aids in agriculture as they supply trace metals to deficient soils. For example, EDTA can be used as the carrier for bivalent metals such as Cu, Zn, Mn and Co. Using such carriers, certain plant deficiency diseases can also be controlled.
Ethylenediamine belongs to the bidentate group, while ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is a polydentate ligand.
