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Crystalline Nanorods as Possible Templates for the Synthesis of Amorphous Biosilica during Spicule Formation in Demospongiae |
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| Authors: | Enrico Mugnaioli Dr Filipe Natalio Ute Schloßmacher Xiaohong Wang Prof Dr Werner E G Müller Prof Dr Ute Kolb Dr |
| Affiliation: | 1. Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Johannes Gutenberg‐Universit?t, Welderweg 11, 55099 Mainz (Germany), Fax: (+49)?6131‐3923768;2. Institut für Physiologische Chemie, Abteilung Angewandte Molekularbiologie, Johannes Gutenberg‐Universit?t, Duesbergweg 6, 55099 Mainz (Germany);3. National Research Centre for Geoanalysis, 26 Baiwanzhuang Dajie, 100037 Beijing (China) |
| Abstract: | In tandem : High‐resolution TEM shows that during the initial stages of demosponge spicule formation, a primordial crystalline structure is formed within the axial filament. The recently developed electron diffraction tomography technique (ADT) reveals that the nanorods have a layered structure that matches smectitic phyllosilicates. These intracellular nanorods have been considered as precursors of mature spicules.  |
| Keywords: | bioinorganic chemistry electron crystallography nanostructures silicatein spicules |