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Biological control over the formation and storage of amorphous calcium carbonate by earthworms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

M. J. I. Briones ,
E. López ,
J. Méndez ,
J. B. Rodríguez  and
L. Gago-Duport
M. J. I. Briones*
Affiliation:
Departamento Ecología y Biología Animal, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
E. López
Affiliation:
Servicio de DRX-FT-IR, CACTI, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
J. Méndez
Affiliation:
Servicio de Microscopía Electrónica, CACTI, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
J. B. Rodríguez
Affiliation:
Servicio de Microscopía Electrónica, CACTI, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
L. Gago-Duport
Affiliation:
Departamento Geociencias Marinas, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
*
*E-mail: mbriones@uvigo.es
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Abstract

The earthworm calciferous gland produces a concentrated suspension of calcium carbonate and in certain species precipitates as concretions of CaCO3, which then enter the soil. Here we investigated the initial stages of CaCO3 formation in the earthworm Lumbricus friendi by means of Fourier transform infrared and electron microscopy techniques (field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high resolution electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction). In addition, comparisons between the IR spectra of the water-dissolved carbonic anhydrase (CA) and the glandular secretion (‘milky fluid’) were performed in order to investigate the mechanisms involved in CaCO3 precipitation. Our results strongly suggest that carbonation starts with the dissolved CO2, which is transformed via deprotonation to HCO3-, then to CO32- and finally to amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC). While ACC stabilization takes place under the biological control, further transformation stages leading to calcite concretions seem to be inorganically driven by an Ostwald ripening process.

Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 72 , Issue 1 , February 2008 , pp. 227 - 231
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2008

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