A Unified Mechanism for the Process of Calcification in Hard and Soft Tissues

Abstract : Because adenosine 5' triphosphate (ATP) has been found in calcifying tissue and because this compound markedly influences calcification, it has been suggested that ATP may be an important intermediate in the calcification process. Furthermore, it has been proposed that mitochondria are involved in bone mineralization and that these oranelles can concentrate calcium ions in a process dependent on ATP. A mechanism of mineralization, cyclical in nature, and which can be described by balanced chemical equations. In the mechanism, ATP reacts with calcium ion to form a calcium complex which, on hydrolysis , first to pyrophosphate and subsequently to apatite, provides the materials for bone mineralization. Adenosine and orthophosphoric acid are also formed which combine to regenerate ATP.