Understanding the Sub-Cellular Dynamics of Silicon Transportation and Synthesis in Diatoms Using Population-Level Data and Computational Optimization
Figure 2
Biological control over biosilicification.
Cell controls mineralization through two types of mechanisms: By formation of membranes in order to make specialized compartments like SDV and by producing biomolecules such as silicon transporter proteins and biomolecules involved in silica deposition. The latter includes molecules with the role of scaffold or catalyzer.