UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

Extracellular calcification of Braarudosphaera bigelowii deduced from electron microscopic observations of cell surface structure and elemental composition of pentaliths

Hagino, K; Tomioka, N; Young, JR; Takano, Y; Onuma, R; Horiguchi, T; (2016) Extracellular calcification of Braarudosphaera bigelowii deduced from electron microscopic observations of cell surface structure and elemental composition of pentaliths. Marine Micropaleontology , 125 pp. 85-94. 10.1016/j.marmicro.2016.04.002. Green open access

[thumbnail of Hagino_Extracellular_calcification_Braarudosphaera.pdf]
Preview
Text
Hagino_Extracellular_calcification_Braarudosphaera.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (18MB) | Preview

Abstract

We have performed morphological and crystallographic studies of Braarudosphaera bigelowii using various light and electron microscopy techniques. A study by light microscopy revealed that B. bigelowii has a haptonema, and can use it for adhesion to external substrates. A study of the pentaliths by transmission electron microscopy indicates that the well-known trapezoidal lamina is formed with foliate crystals having perfectly identical crystallographic orientation. A cytological study shows that the pentaliths of B. bigelowii are surrounded by an organic structure consisting of a pentalith-substrate and thin organic layers. The pentalith-substrate underlies the proximal surface of the pentaliths and extends between the sides of the individual pentaliths, it also extends between the five trapezoidal segments forming a pentalith. Thin organic layers, which apparently originate from ridges of pentalith-substrate, cover the distal surface of the trapezoidal segments. The close association between the pentalith-substrate, organic layers, and pentaliths leads us to the hypothesis that calcification of the pentaliths occurs between the pentalith-substrate and organic layers, extracellularly. The relatively high Mg content observed in pentaliths supports our hypothesis of extracellular calcification.

Type: Article
Title: Extracellular calcification of Braarudosphaera bigelowii deduced from electron microscopic observations of cell surface structure and elemental composition of pentaliths
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.marmicro.2016.04.002
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marmicro.2016.04.002
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Braarudosphaera bigelowii; Calcification; Coccolith; Coccolithophore; Haptonema; Haptophyte; Nannolith
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Earth Sciences
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1509540
Downloads since deposit
149Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item