Biosensors based on plant and animal tissues.

A biosensor is defined as a device that incorporates a biological component which is either intimately connected to or integrated within a transducer. Biocatalysts, such as specialized tissues from higher animals and plants, have been incorporated into various electrochemical transducers to construct biosensors for the detection of important analytes. The receptor-based biosensors utilize isolated receptors or whole intact receptor organisms as molecular recognition elements for the detection of various important analytes including drugs, hormones, toxicants, neurotransmitters and amino acids. The immobilization of isolated receptors on transducers such as ISFETs, electric capacitors and optical fibers for biosensing has been given significant consideration recently. Intact chemoreceptor-based biosensors, in particular, offer several advantages including extremely short response time, a high degree of sensitivity, a wide range of linear response and inherent selectivity. This review highlights some of the recent advances in plant and animal tissue-based biosensors, with emphasis on historical developments.