The Apatite Crystal in Fossil Cells with Fluorescence

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• 作者：Huimei Chi ; Man Feng ; Yuanchang Chen ; Chun Ding ; Linjuan Gu ; Jingwu Ma ; Zuhong Lu
• 刊名：Crystal Growth & Design
• 出版年：2009
• 出版时间：February 4, 2009
• 年：2009
• 卷：9
• 期：2
• 页码：676-681
• 全文大小：502K
• 年卷期：v.9,no.2(February 4, 2009)
• ISSN：1528-7505

文摘

The microfossils from Neoproterizoic Doushantuo Formation, Southeast China, include multicellular animal and algae fossils with exquisite cellular or even subcellular structure preserved, which show the beginning of biodiversity in the Precambrian ocean about 600 million years ago. The fossil cells can fluoresce when excited by laser light and have a steady fluorescence emission in the visible spectrum. The organic matter was thought as the fluorescence source. However, our observation of the microfossils from Doushantuo Formation, Weng‘an reveals another fluorescence source. We found by scanning electron microscopy and transmission light microscopy that the fossil cells with fluorescence are composed of small crystals in a naturally self-assembled manner. Through energy dispersive spectroscopy we know that the crystal is mainly composed of Ca, P, O, and F elements. Furthermore, we performed powder X-ray diffraction to confirm that the crystal compound is Ca₅(PO₄)₃F. Therefore, we consider that crystallization of Ca₅(PO₄)₃F is the main reason that causes the fossil cells to illuminate.