Microstructures
Conch
•“Plywood” structure
• Three macrolayers
• Cross-lamellar structure with first/second/third order lamella
• Lath-like aragonite crystals
(approx 10µm thick x 150µm
wide)
•“wood like” fibers at third – order lamella
Giant Clam
• Continuous single crystals CaCO3 in aragonite
form
• Consecutive planes suggesting
timed interruptions in
crystal growth ( 5µm)
• Fast Growth, low structure
•“Brick and mortar”
structure
• Polygonal bricks (0.5µm thick x 10µm diameter)
•Brick layer thickness is extremely uniform
•Thin organic Sheets
(20 – 30 nm thick)
Abalone