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Journal ArticleDOI

Choosing the Crystallization Path Less Traveled

Steve Weiner, +2 more
- 12 Aug 2005 - 
- Vol. 309, Iss: 5737, pp 1027-1028
TLDR
In this article, the authors use a most unexpected strategy for forming large single crystals such as those that make up mineralized skeletal parts, which allows organisms to mold the crystals into unusual shapes and orient them at will.
Abstract
Many organisms use a most unexpected strategy for forming large single crystals such as those that make up mineralized skeletal parts. Although nucleation and growth of a crystal occur from a solid disordered phase that has the characteristics of a melt phase, the process is accomplished at ambient temperatures and pressures. This strategy allows organisms to mold the crystals into unusual shapes and orient them at will.

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Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI

Normal Bone Anatomy and Physiology

TL;DR: Concepts regarding bone remodeling, osteoclast and osteoblast function, extracellular matrix, matrix mineralization, and osteocyte function are synthesized in a summary of the currently understood functional determinants of bone strength.
Journal ArticleDOI

Oriented attachment and mesocrystals: Non-classical crystallization mechanisms based on nanoparticle assembly

TL;DR: A non-exhaustive literature survey on particle based crystallization pathways leading to single crystals via mesoscopic transformation with a focus on recent examples and studies, which are dedicated to a mechanistic understanding.
Journal ArticleDOI

Biomimetic Systems for Hydroxyapatite Mineralization Inspired By Bone and Enamel

TL;DR: This review focuses on the formation of hydroxyapatite in synthetic systems designed primarily in the biomimetic context of bone or enamel mineralization for therapeutic approaches in repair of human tissues.
Journal ArticleDOI

Biomimetic Model Systems for Investigating the Amorphous Precursor Pathway and Its Role in Biomineralization

TL;DR: This review aims to provide a link between the prior literature and the new literature, which might be useful to newcomers in the field, and demonstrate that there may be certain unifying principles found in biomineral systems that seem widely diverse, such as from diatoms, to mollusk shells, to vertebrate bones and teeth.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI

Taking Advantage of Disorder: Amorphous Calcium Carbonate and Its Roles in Biomineralization

TL;DR: Amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) in its pure form is highly unstable, yet some organisms produce stable ACC, and cases are known in which ACC functions as a transient precursor of more stable crystalline aragonite or calcite.
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Sea urchin spine calcite forms via a transient amorphous calcium carbonate phase.

TL;DR: It is shown that sea urchin spine regeneration proceeds via the initial deposition of amorphous calcium carbonate, which may have interesting implications for the development of sophisticated materials.
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Amorphous calcium carbonate transforms into calcite during sea urchin larval spicule growth

TL;DR: It is shown that an additional mineral phase, amorphous calcium carbonate, is present in the sea urchin larval spicule, and that this inherently unstable mineral transforms into calcite with time.
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Mollusc larval shell formation: amorphous calcium carbonate is a precursor phase for aragonite.

TL;DR: It is concluded that ACC fulfills an important function in mollusc larval shell formation and it is conceivable that ACC may also be involved in adult shell formation.
Journal ArticleDOI

Stabilization of amorphous calcium carbonate by specialized macromolecules in biological and synthetic precipitates

TL;DR: Mono-thiophene as mentioned in this paper is a mono-orthiophene, which is a polygonal polysilicon-polysilicon derivative of thiophene.
Related Papers (5)
Trending Questions (1)
How do living creatures direct crystallization?

Living creatures direct crystallization by using a nucleating substrate strategy, where a crystal seed induces the formation of desired crystals. This allows organisms to control the size, shape, and orientation of the crystals.