Structural and chemical characterisation of the biomineralized teeth in marine molluscs using focused ion beam (FIB) processing and TEM

Saunders, M., Kong, C., Shaw, J.A., Macey, D.J. and Clode, P.L. (2009) Structural and chemical characterisation of the biomineralized teeth in marine molluscs using focused ion beam (FIB) processing and TEM. Microscopy and Microanalysis, 15 (S2). pp. 902-903.

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Abstract

Understanding biomineralization processes could provide a means to produce novel biomimetic materials with potential applications in a diverse range of fields from medicine to materials engineering. The teeth of chitons (marine molluscs) represent an excellent example of a composite biomineralized structure, comprising variable layers of iron oxide, iron oxyhydroxide and apatite. While the early stages of the biomineralization process can be well characterised by a variety of microscopy and microanalytical techniques (see, for example, Shaw, et al. elsewhere in these proceedings and [1]), the hard, fully mineralized teeth are a more difficult proposition.