Conclusion
The eggshell represents an important case of rapid, highly structured, and regulated biomineralization. Analysis of the composition, microstructure, and crystallography of the avian eggshell by a variety of analytical methods have resulted in a surprisingly varied, often confusing and inconsistent picture of eggshell structure and function, which has been presented here in only the briefest outline. Assembly of the eggshell takes place in a sequential process involving three or more distinct secretory tissues and five-ten (or more) specific biopolymers that appear to regulate either eggshell physical properties or the crystal formation/resorption processes. Investigation of the individual chemical components of the eggshell system, and the mechanisms by which the process of eggshell assembly is controlled, should lead to new insights into the general principles of biomineralization, and new approaches for fabricating nonbiological composite ceramic structures.
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Fink, D.J., Caplan, A.I. & Heuer, A.H. Eggshell Mineralization: A Case Study of a Bioprocessing Strategy. MRS Bulletin 17, 27–31 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1557/S0883769400046443
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/S0883769400046443