A diverse range of living creatures can form minerals, such as shells, through the process of biomineralization. Interactions between polymers of acidic molecules with pre-crystallized mineral components play a central role in controlling the growth of complex shapes and structures, but little is known about the mechanism through which the polymers shape crystallization. Now, researchers have used electron microscopy to simultaneously observe the organic and inorganic components of biomineral formation, and show how a concentration of calcium ions in a polymer matrix acts as a precursor for the formation of stable biominerals…..
http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/59950
