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The hidden structure of human enamel

Author

Listed:
  • Elia Beniash

    (UPitt
    University of Pittsburgh
    UPitt
    UPitt)

  • Cayla A. Stifler

    (UW-Madison)

  • Chang-Yu Sun

    (UW-Madison)

  • Gang Seob Jung

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Zhao Qin

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Markus J. Buehler

    (Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Pupa U. P. A. Gilbert

    (UW-Madison
    UW-Madison)

Abstract

Enamel is the hardest and most resilient tissue in the human body. Enamel includes morphologically aligned, parallel, ∼50 nm wide, microns-long nanocrystals, bundled either into 5-μm-wide rods or their space-filling interrod. The orientation of enamel crystals, however, is poorly understood. Here we show that the crystalline c-axes are homogenously oriented in interrod crystals across most of the enamel layer thickness. Within each rod crystals are not co-oriented with one another or with the long axis of the rod, as previously assumed: the c-axes of adjacent nanocrystals are most frequently mis-oriented by 1°–30°, and this orientation within each rod gradually changes, with an overall angle spread that is never zero, but varies between 30°–90° within one rod. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that the observed mis-orientations of adjacent crystals induce crack deflection. This toughening mechanism contributes to the unique resilience of enamel, which lasts a lifetime under extreme physical and chemical challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Elia Beniash & Cayla A. Stifler & Chang-Yu Sun & Gang Seob Jung & Zhao Qin & Markus J. Buehler & Pupa U. P. A. Gilbert, 2019. "The hidden structure of human enamel," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-12185-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12185-7
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    Cited by:

    1. Bryan Shirley & Isabella Leonhard & Duncan J. E. Murdock & John Repetski & Przemysław Świś & Michel Bestmann & Pat Trimby & Markus Ohl & Oliver Plümper & Helen E. King & Emilia Jarochowska, 2024. "Increasing control over biomineralization in conodont evolution," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Kapelko, Magdalena & Oude Lansink, Alfons & Zofío, José L., 2022. "Endogenous dynamic inefficiency and optimal resource allocation: An application to the European Dietetic Food Industry," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 303(3), pages 1444-1457.
    3. Marloes H. Bistervels & Balázs Antalicz & Marko Kamp & Hinco Schoenmaker & Willem L. Noorduin, 2023. "Light-driven nucleation, growth, and patterning of biorelevant crystals using resonant near-infrared laser heating," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.

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