The type and degree of response depends on a number of factors, including the particle's characteristics.
Inflammation is a process involving a complex cellular response to adversity.
Cytokines are proteins produced by a cell in order to mediate the activities of other cells or even to mediate its own activities. Unfortunately, the mineralogical properties and geochemical processes that activate macrophages or that affect other cells in general are not known. These mineralogical properties also affect how a mineral interacts with a geological environment, so it is not surprising that they are important in physiological environments as well. Many of the geological approaches used to study these mineralogical properties are being applied successfully to problems involving mineral-induced disease. They noted distinct changes in the electronic structure of quartz following Al substitution or incorporation of impurity elements, such as Li, Na, Mg, and Fe.