SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY
Sea Urchin Spine Structure Inspires Idea for Concrete
from BBC News Online
The precise structure of sea urchins' strong spines has been unravelled--and the find may
contribute to stronger concrete in the future. The tough spines are known to be made of calcium
carbonate, which has a number of naturally occurring forms, some more brittle than others.
X-ray studies now show they are built from "bricks" of the crystal calcite, with a
non-crystalline "mortar." The results are reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences.
The spines serve as a defence against predators, hard and at the same time shock-absorbing. As
a result of these properties, the spines are among the most-studied biomaterials.
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