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The Skeletal Organic Matrix from Mediterranean Coral Balanophyllia europaea Influences Calcium Carbonate Precipitation
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, Vol 6, Iss 7, p e22338 (2011), PLoS ONE
- Publication Year :
- 2011
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2011.
-
Abstract
- Scleractinian coral skeletons are made mainly of calcium carbonate in the form of aragonite. The mineral deposition occurs in a biological confined environment, but it is still a theme of discussion to what extent the calcification occurs under biological or environmental control. Hence, the shape, size and organization of skeletal crystals from the cellular level through the colony architecture, were attributed to factors as diverse as mineral supersaturation levels and organic mediation of crystal growth. The skeleton contains an intra-skeletal organic matrix (OM) of which only the water soluble component was chemically and physically characterized. In this work that OM from the skeleton of the Balanophyllia europaea, a solitary scleractinian coral endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, is studied in vitro with the aim of understanding its role in the mineralization of calcium carbonate. Mineralization of calcium carbonate was conducted by overgrowth experiments on coral skeleton and in calcium chloride solutions containing different ratios of water soluble and/or insoluble OM and of magnesium ions. The precipitates were characterized by diffractometric, spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The results showed that both soluble and insoluble OM components influence calcium carbonate precipitation and that the effect is enhanced by their co-presence. The role of magnesium ions is also affected by the presence of the OM components. Thus, in vitro, OM influences calcium carbonate crystal morphology, aggregation and polymorphism as a function of its composition and of the content of magnesium ions in the precipitation media. This research, although does not resolve the controversy between environmental or biological control on the deposition of calcium carbonate in corals, sheds a light on the role of OM, which appears mediated by the presence of magnesium ions.
- Subjects :
- Biomineralization
Anatomy and Physiology
Population Dynamics
lcsh:Medicine
02 engineering and technology
Biochemistry
Mineralization (biology)
chemistry.chemical_compound
Chemical Precipitation
Magnesium
Organic Chemicals
lcsh:Science
Magnesium ion
organic matrix
Calcite
0303 health sciences
Multidisciplinary
Anthozoa
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
Chemistry
Environmental chemistry
Balanophyllia Europaea
0210 nano-technology
Research Article
Biotechnology
Scleractinian coral
Mineralogy
chemistry.chemical_element
Balanophyllia europaea
Calcium
engineering.material
Biomaterials
Inorganic Chemistry
03 medical and health sciences
Animals
calcium carbonate
14. Life underwater
Biology
Bioinorganic Chemistry
030304 developmental biology
Aragonite
lcsh:R
Water
Calcium carbonate
Solubility
chemistry
engineering
lcsh:Q
Physiological Processes
Microbiologically induced calcite precipitation
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Volume :
- 6
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....6d776781040516331eb9b103be378c38