ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the areas, in the hope that it will help in understanding the mineralization dynamics underlying the many biological calcification systems. The principal mineral phase in vertebrate skeletal tissue is a basic calcium phosphate best described as a calcium-deficient carbonatoapatite. The principal tenet underlying the use of synthetic systems in the study of biomineralization is that the physicochemical principles governing nucleation and growth of the calcium phosphate phases as elucidated by these systems are basically the same in the biological setting as well. Possibly one function of alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme markedly enriched in matrix vesicle-containing tissues, is to inactivate such potent polyphosphate inhibitors. The pervasion of mineral crystals throughout the collagen fibers and interfiber regions is the last stage in the calcification process. In conclusion, the principles of nucleation and growth which govern the dynamics of calcium phosphate precipitation from aqueous solutions have provided a physicochemical framework for understanding mineral deposition in skeletal tissues.
