Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Politi Y
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2582271 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Politi Yael Y Metzler Rebecca A RA Abrecht Mike M Gilbert Benjamin B Wilt Fred H FH Sagi Irit I Addadi Lia L Weiner Steve S Gilbert P U P A PU
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20081105 45
Sea urchin larval spicules transform amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) into calcite single crystals. The mechanism of transformation is enigmatic: the transforming spicule displays both amorphous and crystalline properties, with no defined crystallization front. Here, we use X-ray photoelectron emission spectromicroscopy with probing size of 40-200 nm. We resolve 3 distinct mineral phases: An initial short-lived, presumably hydrated ACC phase, followed by an intermediate transient form of ACC, a ...[more]