Home

Minéralisations biologiques à base de phosphate de calcium

Sophie CAZALBOU, Diane EICHERT, Christophe DROUET, Christèle COMBES & Christian REY

fr Comptes Rendus Palevol 3 (6-7) - Pages 563-572

Published on 31 October 2004

This article is a part of the thematic issue Biomineralization: diversity and unity

Biological mineralisations based on calcium phosphate

The mineral fractions of bones and teeth are non-stoichiometric apatite crystals. Their morphology, dimensions, composition and reactivity are adapted to their biological function. Bone apatites are made of very reactive nanocrystals possessing, on their surface, a structured hydrated layer responsible for their biological properties. This unstable layer becomes progressively and unavoidably transformed into a relatively inert apatite lattice. In spite of very different time periods, the laws that determine the biological and diagenetic evolution of bone mineral are the same, especially in processes involving dissolution–re-precipitation phenomena.


Download full article in PDF format Order a reprint