Analysis of Early Hard Tissue Formation in Dentine by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Microanalysis and Energy-Filtering Transmission Electron Microscopy

Authors

Hans-Peter Wiesmann, Universität Münster
Ulrich Plate, Universität Münster
Hans-Jürgen Höhling, Universität Münster
Rudolf H. Barckhaus, Universität Münster
Karl Zierold, Max-Planck-Institut für Systemphysiologie

Abstract

Thin cryosections and sections of embedded tissue were prepared from dentine of cryofixed rat incisors. Energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) have been applied to study the calcium and phosphorus distribution in predentine of these incisors. A small enrichment of calcium and phosphorus was found in the predentine zone near the dentine border.

Element distributions were correlated with analyses of the early crystal formation in dentine. These investigations were carried out by parallel applications of electron spectroscopic diffraction (ESD) and electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI) using zero-loss filtering. It was found that the earliest crystal formations already showed the lattice of the hexagonal mineral apatite. They form parallelly arranged chains of dots which coalesce rapidly to form "needle-like" crystallites along the collagen microfibrils.

Recommended Citation

Wiesmann, Hans-Peter; Plate, Ulrich; Höhling, Hans-Jürgen; Barckhaus, Rudolf H.; and Zierold, Karl (1993) "Analysis of Early Hard Tissue Formation in Dentine by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Microanalysis and Energy-Filtering Transmission Electron Microscopy," Scanning Microscopy: Vol. 7: No. 2, Article 25.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/microscopy/vol7/iss2/25