Observations on structural features and characteristics of biological apatite crystals. 5. Three-dimensional observation on ultrastructure of human enamel crystals.

In a series of studies to investigate the structural features of the biological crystals, such as the tooth and bone, using an electron microscope, we examined the ultrastructure of the 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. Thereafter, based on the results of the observations by the authors of the ultrastructure of the tooth and bone crystals, thinking that it might be possible to conduct direct three-dimensional observation of the configuration composing the unit cell of the hydroxyapatite crystals, we conducted a study on this. These results indicated that it was possible to sterically observe the configuration of the hydroxyapatite structure composing the enamel crystal. The materials used for this study were the middle layer of the noncarious enamel from the freshly extracted human erupted permanent molars. The small cubes of the enamel 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 and were examined with the HITACHI H-9000 H type transmission electron microscope operated at 300 kV. Each crystal was observed at an initial magnification of 500,000 times and at the final magnification of 10,000,000 times and over. We sincerely believe that the electron micrographs shown in this report are the first to show three-dimensionally the configuration of the hydroxyapatite structure composing the crystal in the cross and longitudinal sections of an enamel crystal.