Now over 50 % new contents. Incorporating the surprisingly rapid advances in this field since the publication of the successful first edition, this intensively updated and expanded new edition covers all the background as well as the latest results. Now organized according to the main biominerals, the book reflects the increasingly important biochemical aspects and medicinal applications, with four new chapters on biomineralization in mammals, including humans. The whole is rounded off with an entire chapter dedicated to modern methods, especially physical ones that have advanced the field over the last five years. The international team of renowned authors, under the direction of a leading expert in the field, provide first-hand research results from their own relevant fields. The result is an interdisciplinary must-have account, designed for a broad community of researchers.