A Welsh company dealing in specialist camping equipment and clothing has grown from village roots to 1600 outlets in the UK and is now attacking the European market. Being both an importer of goods from the Far East, where it has a large production programme and an exporter of finished goods to selected European markets, the company turned to HSBC Trade Services two years ago and was introduced to the Hexagon system. The company now uses Hexagon to open and manage letters of credit opened in favour of factories in the Far East, and HSBC Trade Services also provided the company with a structured import finance facility.

11. What are the main negative ions found in living organisms?

12. What is the role of mineral salts in osmotic regulation?

13. What is the role of mineral salts in the creation of electric tension (voltage) at the cellular level?

14. Why is pH regulation important for living beings What is the role of mineral salts in this regulation?

15. What is the role of mineral salts in enzyme activity?

16. What are the main biological processes in which calcium is involved?

17. What is hemoglobin? What inorganic element is fundamental in the composition of hemoglobin?

18. What is the importance of magnesium for plants? What are the other main biological functions of magnesium?

19. What is phosphorylation? What are some biological processes in which phosphorylation plays a critical role?

20. Why is iodine important for human beings?

21. What are the main biological functions in which chloride ions are involved?