Abstract

Biomineralization is the process that produces the skeletons, shells, and teeth of most animals. It is also involved in magnetic orientation, gravity detection, and the storing of ions. This book compares a diverse number of systems, including mineral deposition of invertebrates, vertebrates, algae, and microorganisms. Emphasis is placed on the systems responsible for converting ions to minerals and the mechanisms and control of mineral form.
"A book attempting to provide an overview of the broad subject of biomineralization has been a long time coming... [This book is] a very welcome addition to all of the edited symposia volumes and piles of reprints through which one must continually search in order to locate this reference or check on that viewpoint."
--PALEOBIOLOGY
"[A] major feat of scholarship... belong[s] on the bookshelves of every scientist interested in biomineralization."
--SCIENCE
"This book is a must for students studying biomineralization and will be read by any nonspecialists interested in cell biology. It is a good read with a plot that gets thicker as you work through the invertebrate material such as protoctista, sponges, annelids and molluscs on to vertebrates. The book is a major achievement and is a benchmark that will take a long time to surpass."
--STEPHEN MANN, University of Bath, United Kingdom