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Electron microprobe investigations into the process of hard tissue formation

Cell and Tissue Research volume 177, pages 331–345 (1977)Cite this article

Summary

The electron microprobe microanalyser has been used to measure the concentrations of Ca, P and S in the predentine of young rat incisors. The specimens were prepared as alcohol fixed embedded ultrathin sections, unfixed vacuum embedded dry cut ultrathin sections and as thin cryostat sections. The results show the influence of preparation on the measured compositions and indicate that Ca is tightly bound to the matrix, whereas P can be easily washed out. Measurements along the dentine-predentine border demonstrated zones of Ca enrichment, the average size of which suggests that the zones could be the prestages of calcospherites. A mineralisation mechanism is discussed in which the high Ca concentration activates pyrophosphatase or ATPase before the onset of nucleation.

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Author notes

  1. B. A. Ashton & I. K. Ashton

    Present address: Bone Research Unit, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford, England

Affiliations

  1. Institut für Medizinische Physik, Universität Münster, Germany

    W. A. P. Nicholson, B. A. Ashton,  H. J. Höhling, P. Quint & J. Schreiber

  2. Anatomisches Institut, Universität Münster, Germany

    I. K. Ashton

  3. Department of Anatomy, University College London, UK

    A. Boyde

Authors
  1. W. A. P. Nicholson
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  2. B. A. Ashton
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  3. H. J. Höhling
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  4. P. Quint
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  5. J. Schreiber
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  6. I. K. Ashton
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  7. A. Boyde
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The authors express their thanks to the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for financial support

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Nicholson, W.A.P., Ashton, B.A., Höhling, H.J. et al. Electron microprobe investigations into the process of hard tissue formation. Cell Tissue Res. 177, 331–345 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00220309

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00220309

Key words

  • Mineralisation
  • Rat predentine
  • Microprobe analysis