High resolution electron microscopic study on the human dentine crystal.

The direct atomic images in single dentine crystals were investigated using high resolution electron microscope. High resolution electron microscopy clarified the unit cell (each side: 0.94 nm) and 6 columnar calcium (Ca) atoms. This (001) plane image of a dentine crystal was similar to enamel hydroxyapatite. The sublattice image of the (011) plane in a dentine crystal has revealed that lattice fringes consist of a linkage of atoms. Furthermore, the present observation made clear that a different focus and a specimen thickness affect sublattice images. These findings suggest that the character of a single crystal plane can be determined contrasting analytical data by X-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction with atomic images in high resolution transmission electron microscopy.