Mineral Phases Biology

This volume describes the nature of five major biological minerals (calcium carbonates, calcium phosphates, silica, iron oxides and ice) and the organic molecules that are found to be associated with them. Biological minerals are in fact usually composites and their form is not characterized by the known crystal habits of the inorganic microcrystals from which they are made. The underlying chemistry and physics of the composite minerals described here shows that their beauty hides very sophisticated functional properties. The papers also describe the ways in which the materials are synthesized in controlled ways. The likely pattern of future research is highlighted repeatedly by the description of new methods.