The main source of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) in the ocean comes from the shells of calcifying planktonic organisms, but substantial amounts of CaCO₃ are also produced in fish intestines. The precipitation of CaCO₃ assists fish in intestinal water absorption and aids in whole body Ca²⁺ homeostasis. Here we report that the product formed in the intestinal lumen of the gilt-head seabream, Sparus a...

In this article 5-25 V% of a sol-gel bioglass fiber was incorporated into calcium phosphate bone cement to improve its mechanical properties. Compressive strength, work of fracture, elastic modulus and setting time of the cement were investigated as well as phase changes occurring during soaking the specimens in simulated body fluid (SBF). The cement microstructure was also observed by scanning...

The influence of egg white lysozyme on the size, shape, crystallography, and chemical composition of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) particles obtained from aqueous CaCl2-dimethyl carbonate (DMC)-NaOH solutions was studied. At the onset of precipitation, the presence of lysozyme led to much smaller particles (50-400 nm spherical amorphous lysozyme-calcium carbonate particles (Ly-ACC)) than th...

It has been thought that phosphorus in biominerals made of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) might be related to ACC formation, but no such phosphorus-containing compounds have ever been identified. Crustaceans use ACC biominerals in exoskeleton and gastroliths so that they will have easy access to calcium carbonate inside the body before and after molting. We have identified phosphoenolpyruvat...

Micro-Raman spectroscopy has been used to follow the reaction of free lime (CaO) exposed for 24h to moist air at 80 °C under conditions of different relative humidities (10-80% RH). X-ray diffraction and SEM imaging were applied as complementary techniques. The conversion of lime to calcium hydroxide and its subsequent carbonation to various calcium carbonate polymorphs was found to strongly de...