Biogenic minerals

Whereas most minerals are the result of abiotic (or abiogenic) processes, in some cases living organisms such as bacteria or diatoms can create organic or inorganic minerals. These productions are said to be made inside the cell walls or just the cells themselves.

Research

It is quite unknown why these cells are made. Researchers are using x-ray tools to figure out how the polymers in the cell are acting as templates for these minerals to form. Many scientists think the minerals can help certain damaged bacteria have better chances to survive for enhancing the cell energy in many different cells.[1] In Southwest Indian Ridge they dug up some deposits that involved some biogenic minerals which were highly related to microbes. Even new minerals were discovered using seven Fe-Oxides that were attributed to it.[2]

Water's effect

Biogenic minerals also have to be formed in certain pressures and temperatures in an environment. These environments are either intracellular or intercellular environments. They both contain certain components that function ions that relate to the creation of the minerals. It eventually from the process becomes a crystalline structure. These environments involved in the creation of these minerals, needs what is called ambient temperatures.[3]

List of minerals

Examples of biogenic minerals include:

References

  1. ↑ Fortin, Danielle (2004-03-12). "What Biogenic Minerals Tell Us". Science. 303 (5664). Retrieved 2017-03-27.
  2. ↑ Xiaotong Peng; Shun Chen; Huaiyang Zhou; Lixue Zhang; Zijun Wu; Jiangtao Li; Jiwei Li; Hengchao Xu (2011). "Diversity of biogenic minerals in low-temperature Si-rich deposits from a newly discovered hydrothermal field on the ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge". Journal of Geophysical Research. 116.
  3. ↑ Dorvee, Jason (2013). "Water in the formation of biogenic minerals: Peeling away the hydration layers". Journal of Structural Biology. 183: 278–303.


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