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Germanium-Silicon Interactions in Biological Systems

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Silicon and Siliceous Structures in Biological Systems

Abstract

Germanium and silicon* co-occur in group IV-A of the Periodic Table. The two elements have similar outer shells and their ionic radii are also very similar (Ge = 0.47 Å; Si = 0.42 õ). Ge therefore resembles Si in its chemical properties (Jolly, 1966), and is known to substitute for Si in a number of silicate minerals (Goldschmidt, 1958). Both Si and Ge have been reported in all plants and animals examined.

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Authors
  1. F. Azam
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  2. B. E. Volcani
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut, 06117, USA

    Tracy L. Simpson

  2. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego La Jolla, California, 92093, USA

    Benjamin E. Volcani

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© 1981 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

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Azam, F., Volcani, B.E. (1981). Germanium-Silicon Interactions in Biological Systems. In: Simpson, T.L., Volcani, B.E. (eds) Silicon and Siliceous Structures in Biological Systems. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5944-2_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-5944-2_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-5946-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-5944-2

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