Credit Karin Hing, Wellcome Images
Cells crawling across ceramic crystals
Colour-enhanced, SEM of two human bone-forming
cells (osteoblasts) crawling over crystals of the
ceramic material, monetite (CaHPO4). Monetite
crystals are electrochemically deposited onto
titanium making the metal more compatible with the
body. This can be used in applications such as
artificial hip joints and prosthetic tooth-root
posts where bone bonding and the stability of the
implant are very important. This image
demonstrates the coating successfully encouraging
cell growth: the cells look normal and are growing
well over the surface. Nanoscale interactions are vital for the success of cells’ interactions with manmade materials.
Scanning electron micrograph
Collection: Wellcome Images
Library reference no.: Contributor Reference B0003298B