X-RAY STUDY OF EUROPEAN MOOSES BONE STRUCTURE

V.Petrova, A. Sirotkin

KFTT, Petrozavodsk State University, pr.Lenina 33, 186640 Petrozavodsk, Russia,
E-mail: sirotkin@mainpgu.karelia.ru

Keywords: ecology, bone structure, X-ray diffraction

The application of X-ray diffraction methods to the study of possible variations in structure of bone tissues under effect of unfavourable ecological conditions is a scientific interest for description of the interplay in system ''lively organism - habitat'' with the help of fixed structure-sensitive characteristics. For revealing of the latest ones a rigorous analysis of diffraction spectra obtained at the wide angular scattering interval including regions of middle and extremely small angles is required.

In this work results of the investigations of a structural state of bone tissues belonged to radioulnary bones of European mooses living in favourable (Mn) and unfavourable (Md) ecological conditions obtained by interpretation of such spectra will be presented.

The samples were thin plates of radioulnar bones cut in parallel to the bone axis from the part near to the knee-joint. The X-ray diffraction pattern were fixed at the wide angular interval including a small-angle part. Wide-angle X-ray patterns were obtained with help of the DRON-2.0 apparatus. These diffraction spectrum allowed us to carry out a comparative analysis of the content of amorphous and crystalline components of organic and inorganic origin and to define the phase compound of calcium salts both for bone tissues of Mn and for Md. Besides we have an opportunity to obtain an information about texture of structural elements of investigated samples. Small-angle X-ray patterns containing the information about heterogeneities of electronic density were obtained on the KRM-1 device.

Shortly obtained results may be formulated by follow way:

• the Mn bone tissue is characterized by more perfect texture of collagen fibres;
• it has another composition of a crystalline inorganic phase and the relation of ordered and disordered structural components differs from the same relation for Md bone tissue; for bone tissue of a healthy individual more content of amorphous phase of organic and inorganic nature has been registered.
• phase composition of the Mn crystalline inorganic content is more suitable to a mixture of calcium salts belonged to apatites, in particular, a flurapatite carbonate and hudroxylapatite; phase composition of Md is a mixture of two above-notice salts and chlorapatite.
• The Md bone tissue is heterogeneous by its structure and characterized by directional increasing of microporosity from the periphery to the center of radioulnary bone; the Mn bone tissue is more homogenous and has smaller density as compared with Mn, besides bone tissues of Md and Mn have differences in micropore size distribution.
• Differences revealed in structural bone state of Mn and Md testify that X-ray diffraction spectra of these complex biological systems contain extremely important information about complicated processes which take plase in the living organism under the influence of chemical biosphere composition changes.