Enamel I Flashcards
Tell me about mature enamel. 6 things
Acellular
Non-vital, non-vascular
ECTODERMAL origin
Hardest (most mineralized: 98%, tissue in the body)
Brittle - underlying dentin is critical for function
Can be demin/remin
Tell me properties of mature enamel. 5 things.
Translucent
Covers crown - thicker at crown, around 2.5mm, thin at cervical line
Composed of hydroxyapatite crystals
96-98% inorgo, 1% orgo, 3% water
Small, but essential protein component: organization of crystals (controls the crystals)
What is mature enamel composed of?
- NO COLLAGEN IN THE MATRIX OF ENAMEL*
- No collagen scaffold like every other mineralized tissue in the body
Inorgo: Hydroxyapatite
Water: 2-3%
Orgo: 1-2% distributed b/t HA (Hydroxyapatite crystals) (Immature: 30-40%)
-Major proteins: amelogenins, ameloblastins, enamlein, tuftelin, etc.
Closely packed enamel crystals form what?
Long ribbons
Many crystals packed together form both the ______ ______ and the _______ enamel.
Enamel rods
Interrod
What is carbonated apatite called?
Cabonatoapatite
- Lots of enamel crystals are actually carbonated
- Usually found in the depths of enamel
**More vulnerable to acid attack
Carbonatoapatite comes from what?
CO2 from the metabolism of amelogins when depositing of enamel
_______ and ________ incorporated more in the inner enamel, while _______ in the ______ enamel.
Carbonate
Magnesium
OUTER
*Outer enamel are more resilient in acid attack
What is interrod enamel?
Enamel b/t enamel rods
What is the shape of an enamel crystal?
Hexagonal, and reflective of individual HA unit cell
- 60-70 nm wide, 65-30 nm thick
- Very long, and may run the entire length of the enamel layer
- *Hexagonal symmetry increases as crystals mature, but fully mature lose their shape and crowd together
- This prevents permeability
What is a rod?
Cylindrical accumulation of enamel crystals, lined up along the long axis of the rod
Rods generally run perpendicular to the DEJ (Pulp)
THEY RUN OUTWARDS FROM THE CENTER
Curve somewhat as they progress towards surface, THEY ARE NOT COMPLETELY STRAIGHT
*These are not prisms
1 ameloblast = ____ rod(s).
1
ONLY ONE
The shape of the DEJ determines the shape of the what?
Shape of the crown
Histologically, in mature teeth what space is at the crown?
Enamel space
*The tooth is demineralized to cut sections and this creates the enamel space at the crown
**IF we get a question about a histological section of the tooth, enamel will not be there because it was demineralized in the slide production. It’s the enamel space
T/F - Rods overlap each other.
TRUE
*This maximizes strength and minimizes permeability
What is the rod sheath?
“Protein rich” area of enamel that surrounds the rods - the protein in mature enamel is found here in this sheath
Runs 3/4 the way around each rod, separating rod and interrod enamel
The gaps in the rod sheath are where enamel crystals are continuous with interrod enamel, linking the two
-the 1/4 not covered “bends out”
Crystal orientation is mainly parallel to the long axis of rods, except where?
At the gaps in the sheath area
-They bend outwards and become continuous with interrod enamel
What proteins are in the rod sheath?
Ameloblastins
Amelogenins
*Rod sheaths are much more prominent in higher mammals (not so much in rodents)
T/F - Interrod enamel has the same composition as rods, but simply different enamel crystal orientation.
TRUE
*THEY FILL IN THE GAPS B/T RODS, LIKE A KEYHOLE