Trace element uptake, morphology & crystal growth

矿物是天然存在的结晶固体，其形态和组成对它们形成的环境条件敏感。它们可能在很大范围的温度和压力下以非生物方式形成，或者在地球表面形成，在地球表面，它们通常在生物体的影响下沉淀。通常，它们的晶体会发展出受其环境或分泌它们的生物体的生物化学影响的形态。晶体通常还捕获外来离子（“杂质”）。由于这些原因，晶体材料的热形态和组成记录了它们生长的环境条件的信息。 了解晶体如何生长和捕获化学杂质可以帮助我们更好地重建地球历史上的古代环境和事件。它甚至可以帮助我们找到设计新晶体材料的方法，修复骨骼或防止我们体内不良矿物质的形成。

Minerals are naturally-occurring crystalline solids whose morphology and composition are sensitive to environmental conditions under which they form. They may form abiotically, under a wide range of temperature and pressures, or at the Earth's surface where they commonly precipitate under the influence of living organisms. Commonly, their crystals develop morphologies influenced by their environment or by the biochemistry of the living organisms that secrete them. Cristals also commonly capture foreign ions ("impurities"). For these reasons, themorphology and composition of crystalline materials records information about the environmental conditions in which they grew. Understanding how crystals grow and trap chemical impurities can help us better reconstruct ancient environments and events in Earth's history. It may even help us find ways to design new crystalline materials, repair bones or prevent the formation of undesirable minerals in our bodies.