QUASI-CRYSTALLINE ORDER AND BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURES

In this Note we argue that the theoretical approach, developed in the field of quasicrystals, may prove to be useful in a completely different area, namely biology, and more precisely for the transmission electron microscopy observation of thin sections of biological structures. Whenever the real three-dimensional structures is periodic, a generic cut will produce a quasiperiodic pattern. This is illustrated in a "theoretical" example inspired by the 3D organization of annelid cuticle. In addition, we discuss recent results on dislocations in quasicrystals, and their possible consequence on observation in biology. Finally, this analysis could be extended to images obtained from other techniques, like freeze-fracture, and other materials, provided that certain length scale relations be satisfied.