Physiological role of piezoelectricity in biological building blocks

Aimee Stapleton, Mohamed R. Noor, Tewfik Soulimane, Syed A.M. Tofail

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

Piezoelectricity, the ability of materials to generate electricity under stress, or conversely, the ability to deform under an electric potential, has been observed in many biological materials. The prevalence of piezoelectricity in living materials suggests that it may be a physiologically significant phenomenon. In this chapter, the origin of piezoelectricity in biological building blocks will be discussed, highlighting the recent findings of piezoelectricity in a non-fibrous protein. Finally, systems for which piezoelectricity has been proposed as the mechanism which supports physiological functions such as bone remodelling and hearing will be reviewed.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationElectrically Active Materials for Medical Devices
PublisherImperial College Press
Pages237-251
Number of pages15
ISBN (Electronic)9781783269877
ISBN (Print)9781783269860
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Sep 2016

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