History of silicon
The second most common chemical element after oxygen.
As an element, silicon was identified by Antoine Lavosier in 1787. In 1824, the Swedish chemist and mineralogist Jöns Jacob Berzelius obtained pure silicon from SiO2 silica.
It is true that silicon does not exist in nature in the free state, but silicon compounds are very common and dominate in the mineral world in the form of silicates, mainly aluminosilicates. The most common inorganic silicon compound is silicon oxide, which is the main component of sand.
There are two types of silicon in nature: mineral silicon and organic silicon .
Mineral silicon it is the main component of the earth's crust (27.80% by weight) after oxygen (46.60%). It occurs in amorphous or crystalline form in numerous rocks such as granite, sand, clay, etc. In its simplest form, mineral silicon consists of one silicon and two oxygen atoms (SiO2).
Organic silicon (organic silicon in the family of which they are located silanols, silanediols and silanotriols ), differs from mineral silicon by the presence of one (or more) carbon atom (s) attached to hydrogen. In this form, it is one of the main elements of living matter, as evidenced by determinations made in plants and animals, as well as in humans.
Organic silicon is the result of numerous studies conducted by scientists and clinicians over many years (1957 - 1994). Initially, the work concerned an amorphous layer of water-soluble silica on the surface of some quartz crystals.
Silicon has long been considered a simple trace element. In fact, however, it is one of the micronutrients present in the amount of over seven grams in the body of a healthy person. Therefore, it plays an important role in the body.
For 10 years (1985-1995), researchers collected evidence of its incredible effectiveness.
In 1970, the French scientist Norbert Duffaut developed the first molecule, which was called Organic Silicon. After years of research for private clients, Norbert Duffaut was joined by another French researcher, Loïc Le Ribault, PhD in sedimentology. Together, they developed the G4 molecule. After Norbert's death, Duffaut Loïc Le Ribault developed a fifth-generation molecule - the G5.
The biological significance and functions of silicon at the molecular level remain largely unclear, opening the door to further research to better understand the effects of silicon on the human body.
Silicon may be necessary for human health; Particular attention is paid to its therapeutic potential in the field of orthopedic diseases, as well as cardiological and dermatological diseases. It is believed that silicon may also have anti-diabetic and anti-atherosclerotic properties.
Silicon is found in all tissues of the body - its content clearly decreases with age, then degenerative processes begin to progress. in the liver, spleen, pancreas, etc.
Sources:
Food Chemistry T. 1. Z. Sikorski, Staroszczyk H. (eds.). Scientific Publisher PWN, Warsaw 2017;
Grober U., Micronutrients, MedPharm Polska, 2010;
Pasternak K., Bogiszewska-Czubara A., Silicon in medicine and therapy, Journal of Elementology, vol. 16, no 3, 2011