Hierarchical structure and biomineralization in cricket teeth  

作　　者：邢雪青 宫宇 蔡泉 默广 杜蓉 陈中军 吴忠华 

机构地区：[1]Institute of High Energy Physics,Chinese Academy of Sciences [2]Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

出　　处：《Chinese Physics C》2013年第2期92-97,共6页中国物理C（英文版）

基　　金：Supported by National Natural Scientific Foundation (10385008);Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(KJCX3-SYW-N8);Momentous Equipment Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (YZ200829)

摘　　要：The cricket is a truculent insect with stiff and sharp teeth as a fighting weapon. The structure and possible biomineralization of cricket teeth are always interesting. Synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and small angle X-ray scattering techniques were used to probe the element distribution, possible crystalline structures and size distribution of scatterers in cricket teeth. A scanning electron microscope was used to observe the nanoscaled structure. The results demonstrate that Zn is the main heavy element in cricket teeth. The surface of a cricket tooth has a crystalline compound like ZnFe2（AsO4）2（OH）2（H2O）4 . The interior of the tooth has a crystalline compound like ZnCl2 , which is from the biomineralization. The ZnCl2-like biomineral forms nanoscaled microfibrils and their axial direction points towards the top of the tooth cusp. The microfibrils aggregate randomly into intermediate filaments, forming a hierarchical structure. A sketch map of the cricket tooth cusp is proposed and a detailed discussion is given in this paper.The cricket is a truculent insect with stiff and sharp teeth as a fighting weapon. The structure and possible biomineralization of cricket teeth are always interesting. Synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and small angle X-ray scattering techniques were used to probe the element distribution, possible crystalline structures and size distribution of scatterers in cricket teeth. A scanning electron microscope was used to observe the nanoscaled structure. The results demonstrate that Zn is the main heavy element in cricket teeth. The surface of a cricket tooth has a crystalline compound like ZnFe2（AsO4）2（OH）2（H2O）4 . The interior of the tooth has a crystalline compound like ZnCl2 , which is from the biomineralization. The ZnCl2-like biomineral forms nanoscaled microfibrils and their axial direction points towards the top of the tooth cusp. The microfibrils aggregate randomly into intermediate filaments, forming a hierarchical structure. A sketch map of the cricket tooth cusp is proposed and a detailed discussion is given in this paper.

关 键 词：cricket tooth hierarchical structure XRF XRD SAXS SEM 

分 类 号：Q964[生物学—昆虫学]