CALCIFICATION

XXII. A METHOD OF STUDYING CRYSTAL GROWTH

¹ Department of Biochemistry, Jewish Hospital of Brooklyn, N. Y.

A method is described for the study of crystal growth, which utilizes fresh and demineralized rachitic tibia sections nucleated by shaking with 75 mM/L. CaCl₂ followed by shaking with 50 mM/L. phosphate. Nuclei produced by this method resist destruction, as determined by water shaking, are easily handled for in vitro or implantation experiments, and may be readily isolated for qualitative examination by the silver stain. Decalcified sections show a signficant difference in the calcium and phosphate content between the nucleated and recalcified stages and may be examined quantitatively by chemical analysis for calcium and phosphate. It was found that sections nucleated by this method continue crystal growth at a Ca : P product of 16, which is too low to form nuclei of crystallization. The use of this method is illustrated in exploring the reversible inhibition of crystal growth by beryllium.