An overview of silica in biology: its chemistry and recent technological advances.

摘要: Biomineralisation is widespread in the biological world and occurs bacteria, single-celled protists, plants, invertebrates vertebrates. Minerals formed environment often show unusual physical properties (e.g. strength, degree of hydration) have structures that exhibit order on many length scales. Biosilica, found single cell organisms through to higher plants primitive animals (sponges), from an undersaturated with respect silicon under conditions around neutral pH low temperature, ca. 4–40°C. Formation mineral may occur intra- or extra-cellularly, specific biochemical locations for deposition include lipids, proteins carbohydrates are known. In most cases, formation phase linked cellular processes, understanding which could lead design new materials biomedical, optical other applications. This Chapter briefly describes occurrence silica biology including known roles phase, chemistry material, associated biomolecules some recent applications this knowledge chemistry.