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X-ray Diffraction of Biological Samples01:10

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X-ray diffraction or XRD is an analytical tool that utilizes X-rays to study ordered structures such as crystalline organic and inorganic samples, polycrystalline materials, proteins, carbohydrates, and drugs.
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The size of the unit cell and the arrangement of atoms in a crystal may be determined from measurements of the diffraction of X-rays by the crystal, termed X-ray crystallography.
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Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...
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Microcrystallography of Protein Crystals and In Cellulo Diffraction
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Aperiodic crystals in biology.

Enrique Maciá1

  • 1Dpto. Física de Materiales, Facultad CC. Fisicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, E-28040, Spain.

Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter : an Institute of Physics Journal
|December 17, 2021
PubMed
Summary

Biological structures often utilize aperiodic order, not periodic order, for hierarchical designs. Aperiodic crystal concepts offer a useful framework for modeling diverse biological patterns like phyllotaxis and virus architecture.

Keywords:
aperiodic crystalshierarchical structuresphyllotaxisquasicrystalsvirus architecture

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Area of Science:

  • Biophysics
  • Materials Science
  • Crystallography

Background:

  • Biological systems exhibit complex hierarchical designs across various scales.
  • Periodic order is common in non-living matter but less prevalent in biology.
  • Aperiodic order, particularly quasicrystals, offers an alternative descriptive framework.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of aperiodic order in biological structures.
  • To illustrate how aperiodic crystal concepts can model biological patterns.
  • To highlight the limitations of current quasicrystal notions for biological complexity.

Main Methods:

  • Review of representative biological examples: botanical phyllotaxis, tissue cell patterns, sea urchin morphology, virus architecture.
  • Application of mathematical tools and fundamental notions from aperiodic crystal science.
  • Comparative analysis of periodic vs. aperiodic order in biological contexts.

Main Results:

  • Biological structures predominantly feature aperiodic order rather than strict periodicity.
  • Aperiodic crystal concepts provide a valuable modeling framework for biological complexity.
  • Existing quasicrystal notions may not fully capture the richness of biological structural features.

Conclusions:

  • Aperiodic order is a fundamental principle in the hierarchical organization of biological matter.
  • The aperiodic crystal science toolkit offers robust mathematical and conceptual resources for understanding biological structures.
  • Further development of aperiodic modeling may be needed to fully encompass biological structural diversity.