Observations on structural features and characteristics of biological apatite crystals. 8. Observation on fusion of human enamel crystals.

Abstract

In a series of studies to investigate the basic structural features and characteristics of the biological apatite crystals, using a transmission electron microscope, we examined the ultrastructure of the human enamel, dentin, and bone crystals at near atomic resolution and showed the configuration of the hydroxyapatite structure through the cross and longitudinal sections of the crystals. Subsequently, based on the results of the observations by the authors of the ultrastructure of the tooth and bone, using the same approach, we have been able to directly examine the images of the lattice imperfections in the human tooth and bone crystals, such as the point defect structure, line defect, and face defect, in the crystals. In this report, we describe the images of the crystal fusion obtained by using the same approach from the sections of the human enamel crystals. The materials used for this study were the noncarious enamel from the freshly extracted human erupted lower first molars. The small cubes of the material were fixed in glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide and embedded in epoxy resin using the routine methods. The ultrathin sections were cut with a diamond knife without decalcification. The sections were examined with the HITACHI H-800 H and H-9000 type transmission electron microscopes operated at 200 kV and 300 kV. Each crystal was observed at an initial magnification of 300,000 times and at a final magnification of 10,000,000 times and over. We are, therefore, able to confirm that the fusion between the adjacent crystals can occur at some time during the life history of the human enamel. We sincerely believe that the electron micrographs shown in this report are the first to show the ultrastructures of the crystal fusion in the human enamel crystals at near atomic resolution.