ABSTRACT
Raman spectroscopy is an optical method that enables nondestructive analysis of chemical composition and molecular structure. This chapter focuses on the exciting applications of Raman microspectroscopy: correlating Raman spectral outcomes with biomechanical or material properties in bone, polarized Raman microspectroscopy to examine molecular orientation, bone composition in erosive bone diseases, and pathological crystal formation in soft tissues and biological fluids. Raman studies of biominerals fall under three broad classes: identification of pathological mineralization, identification of transient phases during early stages of biomineralization, and quantication of mineral composition in synthetic or natural apatites. Modern Raman instrumentation almost exclusively uses lasers as excitation light sources due to the high-intensity monochromatic light that can be produced. Despite the many positive attributes of Fourier transform Raman instrumentation, most Raman instrumentation is based on dispersive systems using imaging detectors. Most commercially available Raman spectrometers include software that performs automated calibration and spectral preprocessing.
