Biomineralization

The biomineralization process is the ability of living organisms to produce minerals to form tissues or to build hardened tissue. Generally, this process is performed by specialized cells, such as osteoblasts, odontoblasts, ameloblasts, among others, depositing minerals in a specific matrix. This process can take place in physiological form throughout the lifespan of an individual, in response to an injury to the tissue or via activation of specific materials called bioactive materials. This book reviews the fundamentals, processes and potential applications of biomineralization.