A highly conspicuous mineralized composite photonic architecture in the translucent shell of the blue-rayed limpet.

ABSTRACT: Many species rely on diverse selections of entirely organic photonic structures for the manipulation of light and the display of striking colours. Here we report the discovery of a mineralized hierarchical photonic architecture embedded within the translucent shell of the blue-rayed limpet Patella pellucida. The bright colour of the limpet's stripes originates from light interference in a periodically layered zig-zag architecture of crystallographically co-oriented calcite lamellae. Beneath the photonic multilayer, a disordered array of light-absorbing particles provides contrast for the blue colour. This unique mineralized manifestation of a synergy of two distinct optical elements at specific locations within the continuum of the limpet's translucent protective shell ensures the vivid sh

SUBMITTER: Li L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4351589 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature