Mineralogical characteristics of silica polymorphs in relation to their biological activities.

Numerous aspects of silica polymorphs can affect their biological activities, including periodic structures, compositional variations, dissolution characteristics, surface properties, and particle size and shape. For an understanding of mineral-induced pathogenesis from a mechanistic perspective, the links between these properties and biochemical processes must be elucidated. This paper presents some strategies for designing assays to evaluate these properties.