ScienceAugust 30, 2026
biomineralization
BY-oh-min-er-al-i-ZAY-shun
Definition
The natural biological process by which living organisms extract ions from their environment to construct hard mineral structures like shells, skeletons, or teeth.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek 'bios' (life) and the Latin 'minera' (ore/mineral), combined with the suffix '-ization' to denote a process of formation or transformation.
In the news
The article introduces biomineralization as the fundamental geological process that allows marine organisms to create the calcium carbonate structures that eventually break down into sand.
Science says sand isn’t always made from rocks: Some beaches are built from the remains of living things
Read the full article ↗The Economic Times