Biomineralization

Biomineralization involves the study of the processes that lead to the formation of minerals by living organisms. Shells, teeth and bone are a few examples of biologically produced materials. The living organisms have the potential to exploit mechanical, optical, and magnetic properties of these materials for a variety of purposes. These properties are often optimized for a given function as compared to the properties of biological materials of similar composition. The living organisms exert exceptional control over the composition, crystallography, morphology and material properties of the biominerals. Organisms also take care of the different conditions such as physiological temperature, pressure, and pH which are required to form the biomenerals. The field of biomineralization has also expanded to incorporate the application of strategies adapted from biology for the production of synthetic materials. This book presents the complex subject of biomineralization in the most comprehensible and easy to understand language. It will serve as a valuable source of reference for graduate and postgraduate students.