Influence on the formation of aragonite or vaterite by otolith macromolecules. Falini, G., Fermani, S., Vanzo, S., Miletic, M., & Zaffino, G. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 1(1):162-167, 2005.
Influence on the formation of aragonite or vaterite by otolith macromolecules [pdf]Paper  abstract   bibtex   
Calcium carbonate polymorphism is one of the most challenging problems in biomineralization. Calcium carbonate exists in three crystalline forms: calcite, aragonite and vaterite. Otoliths of teleost fishes are made of vaterite and aragonite, located in different sacs and never mixed together. This paper presents a biochemical characterization of the intracrystalline macromolecules associated to the vateritic and aragonitic phases of otoliths. Experimental evidences from calcium carbonate overgrowth on the surface of otoliths and in vitro crystallization on the chitin-silk fibroin assembly organic matrix suggest that the intracrystalline macromolecules associated to the otolith influence the aragonite-vaterite polymorphism. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2005)

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