Published March 13, 1981
| public
Journal Article
Minerals Formed by Organisms
- Creators
- Lowenstam, Heinz A.
Abstract
Organisms are capable of forming a diverse array of minerals, some of which cannot be formed inorganically in the biosphere. The initial precipitates may differ from the form in which they are finally stabilized, or during development of the organism one mineral may substitute for another. Biogenic minerals commonly have attributes which distinguish them from their inorganic counterparts. They fulfill important biological functions. They have been formed in ever-increasing amounts during the last 600 million years and have radically altered the character of the biosphere.
Additional Information
© 1981 American Association for the Advancement of Science. I am deeply indebted to S. Weiner for many suggestions and in particular his skillful editing of the manuscript. P. A. Sandberg and S. Weiner made available the scanning electron micrographs shown in Fig. 1. H. Lemche, K. Towe, K. Nealson, L. Margulis, and J. Oro provided literature references. M. Dekker's skill in preparing samples has for many years contributed to my identification of numerous minerals. Data which I obtained were largely by-products of investigations supported by National Science Foundation grants. Parts of this article were written during an extended visit to the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. Contribution No. 3530, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 53583
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20150112-142424037
- NSF
- Created
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2015-01-13Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-10Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Other Numbering System Name
- Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Other Numbering System Identifier
- 3530