The major solid state principles involved in mineralization in biological systems are discussed. Three major biological control factors of mineralization are described; structural, spatial, and chemical control. Factors determining nucleation on organic surfaces, mineral growth, mineral structure, and morphology are reported. Oriented growth of minerals on organic matrices can occur by three processes; (i) lattice matching (epitaxis) between the organic matrix and depositing crystal faces, (ii) surface structural relationships between the organic matrix and depositing crystal faces, (iii) ordered aggregation of preformed mineral particles. Several a priori reasons indicate that epitaxis is unlikely to be a major process of oriented growth in biomineralization. The presence and importance of biogenic amorphous minerals is also described.

Mineralization in biological systems

Mechanism of mineral formation in bone.

Correlation between loss of alkaline phosphatase activity and accumulation of calcium during matrix vesicle-mediated mineralization.

Purification and initial characterization of intrinsic membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase from chicken epiphyseal cartilage.

The subjects that will be presented in this chapter are: (1) The nature of the mineral phase in bone; that is, the chemical composition and crystal structure of the solid calcium-phosphate (Ca-P) mineral phase in bone, and the changes that occur in the mineral phase per se with time and maturation; (2) the relationship of these maturational changes which occur with time to the biological, physiological, and mechanical functions of the crystals and to Ca and P mineral metabolism; and (3) the ultrastructural location of the mineral phase and its relationship to the basic underlying physical chemical mechanism responsible for the initiation of calcification.

S.T. Gore

Papers

Non-enzymatic isolation of matrix vesicles : characterization and initial studies on 45Ca and 32P-orthophosphate metabolism