title: Biomineral nanoparticles are space-filling.
abstract: Sea urchin biominerals have been shown to form from aggregating nanoparticles of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), which then crystallize into macroscopic single crystals of calcite. Here we measure the surface areas of these biominerals and find them to be comparable to those of space-filling macroscopic geologic calcite crystals. These biominerals differ from synthetic mesocrystals, which are invariably porous. We propose that space-filling ACC is the structural precursor for echinoderm biominerals.
authors.affiliation: Earth Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Christopher E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Killian
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kunz
authors.forename: Nobumichi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: P U P A
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Gilbert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000737:chemistry; D003460:Crystallization; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D012617:Sea Urchins / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002119:Calcium Carbonate