Mollusk shell formation: a source of new concepts for understanding biomineralization processes.
The biological approach to forming crystals is proving to be most surprising. Mollusks build their shells by using a hydrophobic silk gel, very acidic aspartic acid rich proteins, and apparently also an amorphous precursor phase from which the crystals form. All this takes place in a highly structured chitinous framework. Here we present ideas on how these disparate components work together to produce the highly structured pearly nacreous layer of the mollusk shell.
Addadi
Lia
L
Department of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel. lia.addadi@weizmann.ac.il
Joester
Derk
D
Nudelman
Fabio
F
Weiner
Steve
S
D000818:Animals; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000737:chemistry*; D002686:Chitin / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D005782:Gels; D008974:Mollusca; D047011:Silk / Q000737:chemistry*
D005782:Gels; D047011:Silk; D002686:Chitin; D002119:Calcium Carbonate