Following a well-established anthropocentric point of view, we generally consider high technological structures and mechanisms exclusively as products of the human mind. Indeed most of them are bioinspired structures. Microalgae are a good example of unicellular organisms in which complex micro and nanostructures can be found. Diatoms are particularly interesting because their protoplasts are enclosed in a silica amorphous cell wall called the frustule, consisting of two valves joined together by a girdle composed of a series of silica bands. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of several structures ranging at sub-micrometric and nanometric scales on the surface of diatom frustules. The “loculate areolae”, chambers in the depth of the cell wall and their “cribra”, silica flaps occluding internally or externally the chambers can be considered examples of these structures. Sub-micrometric structures are also present in the internal frustule surfaces where they play a mechanical or a linking role between the valves and girdle bands and between the girdle bands themselves. These surfaces are in relative motion during diatom cell growth and reproduction making them particularly interesting in micro- and nanotribology [1, 2]. Despite the high level of knowledge we have on the morphology and ultrastructure of several of these microstructures, there is little known about their function in the frustules [3]. In this work, we explored the functional role of some micro- and nanostructures found in diatom frustules with the aim to propose them as stimulating bioinspired models for design and manufacturing engineers working in the technological micro- and nanoworld.
DE STEFANO M., CONGESTRI R., DE STEFANO L., BAZZICHELLI G. AND P. ALBERTANO (2008). Functional morphology of micro- and nanostructures in diatom frustules. Proc. of the 2nd International Conference on Nanostructures SElf-Assembly, (7 – 10/7/2008, Monteporzio Catone, Rome, Italy).
DE STEFANO, Mario
2008
Abstract
Following a well-established anthropocentric point of view, we generally consider high technological structures and mechanisms exclusively as products of the human mind. Indeed most of them are bioinspired structures. Microalgae are a good example of unicellular organisms in which complex micro and nanostructures can be found. Diatoms are particularly interesting because their protoplasts are enclosed in a silica amorphous cell wall called the frustule, consisting of two valves joined together by a girdle composed of a series of silica bands. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of several structures ranging at sub-micrometric and nanometric scales on the surface of diatom frustules. The “loculate areolae”, chambers in the depth of the cell wall and their “cribra”, silica flaps occluding internally or externally the chambers can be considered examples of these structures. Sub-micrometric structures are also present in the internal frustule surfaces where they play a mechanical or a linking role between the valves and girdle bands and between the girdle bands themselves. These surfaces are in relative motion during diatom cell growth and reproduction making them particularly interesting in micro- and nanotribology [1, 2]. Despite the high level of knowledge we have on the morphology and ultrastructure of several of these microstructures, there is little known about their function in the frustules [3]. In this work, we explored the functional role of some micro- and nanostructures found in diatom frustules with the aim to propose them as stimulating bioinspired models for design and manufacturing engineers working in the technological micro- and nanoworld.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
