Optical properties of diatom silica frustule with special reference to blue light

Abstract

Using fresh water diatom, identified as Melosira variance which is growing faster than other algae in the ponds, we characterized the ultrastructure of its silica frustule by electron microscopic observations. On hypothesizing that the ultrastructure has some meanings in photosynthesis, behaviors of a single frustule toward light irradiation were analyzed using an optical fiber. We found that the frustule absorbed light mainly in the blue wavelength region. The theoretical analyses of optical properties supported experimental results and suggested a strong interaction between blue light and inner silica materials. It is speculated that the interaction served for partial extinction of excessive irradiation of blue light and for enhancing photosynthesis of the diatom.

Competition between Silicifiers and Non-silicifiers in the Past and Present Ocean and Its Evolutionary Impacts

“…Diatom frustules have been proposed to modulate solar wavelengths and direction for optimum absorption of light for photosynthesis (Yamanaka et al, 2008;Romann et al, 2015), while amorphous silica (in combination with microsporinelike amino acids) can help protect against harmful ultraviolet radiation (Ingalls et al, 2010). These adaptations can establish competitive interactions with other photosynthetic organisms that use different biominerals (e.g., calcium carbonate in coccolithophores Taylor et al, 2017, calcium oxalate in plants He et al, 2014), or organic components (e.g., flavonoids, Schaller et al, 2013) for similar photoprotective purposes.…”

“…Diatoms and polycystines Main users of silica de Within silicifiers Resistance against predators Lebour, 1922;Marshall and Orr, 1955;Campbell et al, 2009;van Tol et al, 2012 Silicifiers and others Segregative pattern Lima-Mendez et al, 2015 Cellular and molecular biology Diatoms Different morphologies that affect sinking, predation, light capture, viral resistance and nutrient uptake Hamm et al, 2003;Fuhrmann et al, 2004;Raven and Waite, 2004;Losic et al, 2006;Sims et al, 2006;Pondaven et al, 2007;Yamanaka et al, 2008;Finkel and Kotrc, 2010;Nakov et al, 2014;Romann et al, 2015 Diatoms and other silicifiers Independent inventions of SITs in other silicifiers; SIT diversification in diatoms Thamatrakoln et al, 2006;Durkin et al, 2016;Marron et al, 2016b Secondary loss of biosilicification in other silicifiers Maldonado, 2009;Kozhemyako et al, 2010;Lahr et al, 2013Lahr et al, , 2015Zlatogursky, 2016 Facultative biosilicification Sandgren et al, 1996;Kessenich et al, 2014;Yamada et al, 2014;Leadbeater, 2015;Morueta-Holme et al, 2016 occurred, it must predate the Cenozoic and perhaps began with the appearance of silicifying diatoms in the Mesozoic (Sims et al, 2006). Both the geological record and molecular phylogenetics concur that, whilst the majority of the main morphological groups of diatoms had arisen by the end of the Cretaceous , there was a rapid expansion and diversification of diatoms in the Cenozoic (Siever, 1991; Figure 2).…”

“…As a result, biogenic silica structures are utilized for support (Weaver et al, 2007), feeding (Nesbit and Roer, 2016), predation defense (Pondaven et al, 2007;Friedrichs et al, 2013;Hartley et al, 2016) and environmental protection as a component of cyst walls (Preisig, 1994). Biogenic silica also has useful optical properties for light transmission and modulation in organisms as diverse as plants (Schaller et al, 2013), diatoms (Fuhrmann et al, 2004;Yamanaka et al, 2008;Romann et al, 2015), sponges (Sundar et al, 2003), and molluscs (Dougherty et al, 2014). There is also evidence that silicification is used as a detoxification response in snails (Desouky et al, 2002) and plants (Neumann and zur Nieden, 2001), sequestering harmful substances such as aluminum and zinc within the biogenic silica to ensure the correct functioning of cellular metabolism.…”

Structures and physiological functions of silica bodies in the epidermis of rice plants

“…For example, diatom frustules enable diatoms to withstand high pressures 5 and their intricate nanostructures were found to play a role in regulating light absorption, functioning like photonic crystals by reducing excessive levels of blue light and thereby enhancing photosynthesis. 6 Some species of the grass Oryzae, including Oryza sativa, are well known as silicon-accumulating plants that produce rice. Silica has been reported to benefit rice plants by increasing their resistance to certain micro-organisms.…”

Roles of trichomes with silica particles on the surface of leaves in Aphananthe aspera

“…4 Diatoms also have periodic pores with sizes on the order of visible-light wavelengths, [5][6][7][8][9] and some of them show enhancement of absorption for blue light. 10 This is due to photonic band edges at which the group velocity of light slows. In this situation, the interaction of light and materials is enhanced.…”