QUIZ 2 Enamel I Flashcards
mature enamel is ___ in orgin, and is a product of the ___
- ectodermal
- enamel organ
enamel is brittle, so underlying ___ support is critical for function
dentin
can enamel be both demineralized and remineralized?
yes
is mature enamel cellular or acellular?
acellular
is enamel vital or nonvital?
nonvital
is there vasculature associated with mature enamel?
no
enamel is the hardest tissue in the body. in other words, it is the most ___
mineralized
describe the color of mature enamel
it is translucent, with a range of colors
mature enamel covers the ___ of the tooth
crown
mature enamel is thicker at the ___, around 2.5mm, and relatively thin at ___
- crown
- cervical line
mature enamel is composed primarily of what?
hydroxyapatite crystals
small but essential protein component: organization of crystals
describe the components of mature enamel by weight
- 96% inorganic material (hydroxyapatite)
- 1% organic material
- 3% water
describe the components of mature enamel by volume
- 85% inorganic (hydroxyapatite)
- 3% organic
- 12% water
describe the organic component of enamel
- 1-2% distributed between hydroxyapatite crystals
- no collagen
- enamel proteins, some present only in developing enamel
what are the major enamel proteins in the organic component of enamel?
amelogenins, ameloblastins, enamelin, tuftelin
describe enamel crystals
- form the organization of enamel
- closely packed, long, ribbon-like
- many crystals packed together form both the enamel rods and the interrod enamel
the mineral component of enamel is hydroxyapatite, but lots of enamel crystals are actually composed of ___
carbonatoapatite (carbonated apatite)
what is the formula for hydroxyapatite?
Ca5(PO4)3(OH) x2
how can carbonatoapatite be formed from hydroxyapatite?
CO32- can substitute for both PO43- (usually) and OH- (sometimes)
hydroxyapatite can incorporate what 3 things into its structure?
carbonate, magnesium (more vulnerable to acid attack), and fluoride (less vulnerable to acid attack)
___ and ___ are incorporated into the more inner enamel, and ___ in the outer enamel
- carbonate and magnesium
- fluoride
- thus, outer enamel is said to be more resilient in the face of an acid attack
each enamel crystal is ___ in shape, reflective of the individual ___ unit cell
- hexagonal
- hydroxyapatite
what are the dimensions of mature enamel crystals?
60-70nm wide, 25-30nm thick, and can be very long - may run the entire length of the enamel layer (in the mm range)
___ symmetry increases as crystals mature
hexagonal
but fully mature enamel crystals lose their shape somewhat
what is an enamel rod?
cylindrical accumulation of enamel crystals, lined up along the long axis of the rod
rods generally run perpendicular to the ___
DEJ (pulp)
they radiate outwards from the center
are enamel rods straight?
not completely; they curve somewhat as they progress towards the surface