Distribution of silicon in the adult rat and rhesus monkey

✍ Scribed by Robert R. LeVier

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1975
• Weight: 381 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0006-3061
• DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3061(00)81019-4

✦ Synopsis

The distribution of silicon in tissues of the rat and rhesus monkey was determined using a calorimetric method specifically designed for biological materials Soft-tissue silicon levels in both species varied from 1 to 33 pg silicon/g dry weight (ppm) excepting the primate lung and lymph nodes, which averaged 942 ppm and 101 ppm, respectively_ This distribution may reflect flow-through of silicon in the form of particulates and water-soluble silicate contaminates in the environment and food effectively masking tissue or organ-specific silicon of functional significance. The silicon content of the whole rat femur was 38 ppm as determined by emission spectroscopy, whereas the monkey femur shaft was 43 ppm and the femur head containing the epiphysis was 456 ppm_ This silicon may be functionally involved in the calcification process as .suggested by others. The silicon content of rat liver