Biomineralized tissues, mechanical properties

Bone and teeth in mammals and bony fishes all rely on calcium phosphates in the form of hydroxyapatite [Ca5(P04)30H]2, usually associated with around 5% carbonate (and referred to as carbonated apatite). The bones of the endoskeleton and the dentin and enamel of teeth have a high mineral content of carbonated apatite, and represent an extraordinary variety of structures with physical and mechanical properties exquisitely adapted to their particular function in the tissue where they are produced. We begin by discussing the formation of bone and then examine the biomineralization process leading to the hardest mineralized tissue known, the enamel of mammalian teeth. 

Zhang Q, Mochalin VN, Neitzel 1, Hazeli K, Niu J, Kontsos A, et al. Mechanical properties and biomineralization of multifunctional nanodiamond-PLLA composites for bone tissue engineering. Biomaterials 2012 33 5067-75. 

In this book Song et al (10) described a novel nucleation and mineral growth process to produce a bone-like biomineral con site. The crosslinked gelatin-chitosan blend made by Payne et al fi/J may perhaps be used as biomimetic soft tissue or for bioencapsulation. The sorbitol-based polyesters synthesized by Mei at al (27) and Kulshrestha et al (26) may possibly find applications in tissue engineering. Biswas et al (13) described the preparation and the mechanical properties of modified zein. Fishman et al (12) made pectin-starch and pectin-poly(vinyl alcohol) blends and found them to be strong, flexible films. 

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