Transport‐Limited Growth of Coccolith Crystals

Abstract: Biogenic crystals present a variety of complex morphologies that form with exquisite fidelity. In the case of the intricate morphologies of coccoliths, calcite crystals produced by marine algae, only a single set of crystallographic facets is utilized. It is unclear which growth process can merge this simple crystallographic habit with the species‐specific architectures. Here, a suite of state‐of‐the‐art electron microscopies is used to follow both the growth trajectories of the crystals ex situ, and the cellular environment in situ, in the species Emiliania huxleyi. It is shown that crystal growth alternates between a space filling and a skeletonized growth mode, where the crystals elongate via their stable crystallographic facets, but the final morphology is a manifestation of growth arrest. This process is reminiscent of the balance between reaction‐limited and transport‐limited growth regimes underlying snowflake formation. It is suggested that localized ion transport regulates the kinetic instabilities that are required for transport‐limited growth, leading to reproducible morphologies.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Transport‐Limited Growth of Coccolith Crystals ; day:20 ; month:12 ; year:2023 ; extent:9 ; Advanced materials ; (20.12.2023) (gesamt 9)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Avrahami, Emanuel M. ; Eyal, Zohar ; Varsano, Neta ; Zagoriy, Ievgeniia ; Mahamid, Julia ; Gal, Assaf

Further information

• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202309547
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023122114275682282840
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:21 AM CEST