Organomineralization Derived from the Biomineralization:An Important Theme within the Framework of Geobiology
DOI:
Author:
Affiliation:

Clc Number:

Fund Project:

  • Article
  • |
  • Figures
  • |
  • Metrics
  • |
  • Reference
  • |
  • Related
  • |
  • Cited by
  • |
  • Materials
  • |
  • Comments
    Abstract:

    Traditionally, the concept of biomineralization has been defined as the mineral formation by organism and further has been grouped into two types, i.e. the biologically controlled and the biologically induced biomineralizations. This broad term of biomineralization has been emended as the process by which living forms influence the precipitation of mineral materials; correspondingly, the term of biomineral has been redefined as the product of the selective uptake of elements from the local environment, and it can incorporate into functional structures under strict biological control. Correspondingly, the concept of “organomineralization” that is derived from the broad biomineralization is used to describe a mineral formation linked to non living organic substances, and the product resulted from the biomineralization is defined as the “organomineral”, i.e. refers to minerals that are affected by organics, mostly life related, but not directly produced by living cells. Thus, the chief difference between the biomineral and the organomineral is that the later can not incorporate into functional structures under strict biological control. When the biomineralization attract the attention by biologists and chemists, it becomes the research object for the further understanding of “the sophisticate chemical process within life system”; further, the biomineralization gradually becomes an attracting research field of many subjects beyond the geological field. At the same time, studies on the biomineralization result in the advances of the organomineralization. Because the organomineralization and its product, i.e., the organomineral, is volumetrically important constituent of the sedimentary rock record, is synonymous with paleontology and is potentially exciting tracer for life beyond Earth, studies on the organomineralization and its product become an important researching theme within the framework of geobiology.

    Reference
    Related
    Cited by
Get Citation

.2012. Organomineralization Derived from the Biomineralization:An Important Theme within the Framework of Geobiology[J]. Geological Review,58(5):937-951.

Copy
Share
Article Metrics
  • Abstract:
  • PDF:
  • HTML:
  • Cited by:
History
  • Received:
  • Revised:
  • Adopted:
  • Online:
  • Published: