Gastropod nacre: structure, properties and growth--biological, chemical and physical basics.

The biogenic polymer/mineral composite nacre is a non-brittle biological ceramic, which self-organizes in aqueous environment and under ambient conditions. It is therefore an important model for new sustainable materials. Its highly controlled structural organization of mineral and organic components at all scales down to the nano- and molecular scales is guided by organic molecules. These molecules then get incorporated into the material to be responsible for properties like fracture mechanics, beauty and corrosion resistance. We report here on structure, properties and growth of columnar (gastropod) nacre with emphasis on the genus Haliotis in contrast to sheet nacre of many bivalves.