Calcium carbonate (CaCO3)–including the three naturally occuring polymorphs calcite, aragonite, and vaterite —seems to be almost ubiquitous in nature. Although the overall abundance of this group is not as great as some other minerals, its members have the most varied occurrence of any mineral family. They are found in all rock types, in ore deposits, in caves, in geyser and hot springs deposits, etc., and as structural and nonstructural components in living organisms (see Cave Minerals; Human and Vertebrate Mineralogy; Invertebrate and Plant Mineralogy). Many aquatic organisms—including shellfish, sea urchins, and seal coral—secrete CaCO3 as an integral part of their body. Inoué and Okazaki (1977) have recently summarized biocrystal formation in sea urchins and have beautifully demonstrated the relationship of calcite crystal growth to the spicules. In humans, CaCO3has been studied in relation to the formation of carries in teeth and in the calculi, or stones, that form in the gall...
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Cross-references
Cave Minerals; Crystal Habits; Human and Vertebrate Mineralogy; Invertebrate and Plant Mineralogy; Luminescence; Polarization and Polarizing Microscope.
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McCauley, J.W. (1981). Calcite group . In: Mineralogy. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30720-6_20
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