Glossary

ThefollowingglossaryoftermswastakenfromHealthEffectsofMineralDusts,
ReviewsinMineralogy,vol.28,editedbyGeorgeGuthrieandBrookeMossman.It
wasslightlymodifiedbyMickeyGunterforuseintheNAGTworkshoponGeology
andHumanHealth,Spring2004,andreproducedherewithpermissionofthe
MineralogicalSocietyofAmerica.ThankstoPaulRibbeforprovidingthetextfile.
Thefollowingglossarycontainsseveralbiologicalandgeologicaltermsthatmaybe
unfamiliartosomereaders.Amorethoroughlistingoftermscanbefoundinageneral
scientificdictionary,suchasDictionaryofScientificandTechnicalTerms(1989,4th
edition,S.P.Parker,Editor,McGrawHill,NewYork,2138pp.),orindictionaries
specifictoeachofthedisciplines(e.g.,GlossaryofGeology,1980,2ndedition,R.L.
BatesandJ.A.Jackson,Editors,AmericanGeologicalInstitute,FallsChurch,Virginia,
751pp.;StedmansMedicalDictionary,1990,25thedition,W.R.Hensyl,Editor,
WilliamsandWilkns,Baltimore,Maryland,1784pp.).Manyofthedefinitionsbelow
aremodifiedfromthesesources.Acceptedmineralspeciesnamesandformulaecanbe
foundintheMineralReferenceManual(1991,E.H.NickelandM.C.Nichols,van
NostrandReinhold,NewYork,250pp.),andwehavegenerallyfollowedtheirusage.
However,insomecases,errorsintheMineralReferenceManualhavebeencorrected
here.Theeditorsassumeultimateresponsibilityforthecorrectnessofthefollowing
definitions.However,weacknowledgetheassistanceofmanyindevelopingthis
glossary,includingtheauthorsofchaptersinthisbookandH.C.W.Skinner.Manyofthe
definitionsbelowusewordsthatarealsodefinedintheglossary,andthesewordsare
generallyitalicized.
aaxis:Oneofthethreeprincipleaxesusedtodescribethecoordinatesystemofacrystal
structure.Seecrystallographicaxes.
accessorymineral:Anymineralthatispresentinarockbutisnotessentialtoclassifying
therock.Generallyaccessorymineralsarepresentinminorquantities.
acicular:Saidofacrystalthatisneedlelikeinform.Ahighaspectratiomineralparticle
formedduringgrowthorcrushing.Seeasbestiform,fibrous,prismatic,equant,tabular.
actinolite:AnamphibolewiththeidealcompositionCa2(Mg,Fe2+)5Si8O22(OH)2.
ActinoliteisaspeciesintheMgFe2+series,tremoliteferroactinolite,with0.9>Mg/
(Mg+Fe2+)>0.5.Seeamphibole,ferroactinolite,tremolite.
activationenergy:Theadditionalenergyrequiredtoallowasystemtoproceedfromone
energystatetoanother,e.g.,tomakeareactionproceed.
activeoxygenspecies:Oxygenfreeradicals.Reactivemetabolitesorreducedspeciesof
oxygenthatcanreactwithcellulartargets,includingDNA.Thesespeciespossessanon
equilibriumnumberofelectrons(i.e.,theypossessanunpairedelectron),suchthatthe
speciesisunstableandcanfunctionaseitheranelectrondonor/acceptororaproton
donor/acceptor.Seehydroxylradical,superoxide.

Glossary

additive:Theconditionwhentwoormoreagentsinduceabiologicalresponsethatisthe
sumoftheweightedbiologicalresponsesofeachagentindividually.
aeolian:Seeeolian.
AEM:Analyticalelectronmicroscopy.Thisistypicallydoneusingatransmission
electronmicroscopeequippedwithacapabilitysuchasenergydispersivespectrometry.
ByperformingAEMwithatransmissionelectronmicroscope,additionimportant
mineralogicalinformationmaybeobtained,suchaselectrondiffractioninformation,
particlemorphology,microstructures,etc.
AES:Augerelectronspectroscopy.
AFM:Atomicforcemicroscopyoratomicforcemicroscope.
agate:Atypeofmicrocrystallinequartz.
akaganeite:FeOOH.Seelepidocrociteandgoethite.
alkalifeldspar:Afeldsparwithanidealcompositionof(K,Na)AlSi3O8.
allophane:Aamorphousclaywithacompositionapproximatingthatofthekaolin
group.
alteration:Inmineralogy,anychangeinthechemicalormineralogicalcompositionofa
rockormineral,typicallyresultingfromtheinteractionbetweenamineralandan
aqueousfluid.Often,thealterationprocessinvolvestheintroductionofsome
constituents(e.g.,H2O,cations,oranions)andthereleaseofotherconstituentsofthe
mineral.Weatheringreactionsareoneexampleofmineralalteration.
alumina:Achemicaltermforaluminumoxide,Al2O3.Seecorundum.
alveoli:Smallsacsorcompartmentslocatedattheterminusoftherespiratorytract.
Alveoliarethesitesatwhichgaseousexchangewiththebloodoccurs.
Amesassay:Abacterialassayusedtoassessthemutagenicpotentialofanagent.
amesite:A1:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionofMg2Al[SiAl]2O5(OH)4.
amosite:Avarietalnameforbrown(orsometimesgray)asbestos.Amositewasderived
fromtheacronymforAsbestosMinesofSouthAfrica(AMOSA).anditisacommercial
term(i.e.,itreferstoaproductandnotamineral).Amositegenerallyimplies
asbestiformcummingtonitegrunerite;however,someamositesampleshavebeen
reportedtocontainotherasbestiformamphibolesaswell,includinganthophyllite,
actinolite,andriebeckite.Themineralcontentmayvaryfromsampletosample,because
differentsourcematerialsmayhavebeenused.Ifthemineralspeciesinasampleis
knowntobecummingtoniteorgrunerite,thetermsasbestiformcummingtoniteor

Glossary

asbestiformgruneritecanbeusedtoprovidemoredetailedinformation.Seeamphibole,
cummingtonite,grunerite.
amorphous:Lackinglongrange,periodicatomicorderortranslationalsymmetry.Non
crystalline.
amphibole:Amineralgroupofchainsilicatespossessingadoublechainstructurewith
anidealcompositionofAB2C5T8O22(OH,F,Cl)2.TheAsiteis6to12coordinated
andcanbeunoccupiedorcancontainmonovalentcations(e.g.,KorNa);theBsiteis
representedbytheM4crystallographicsite,whichis6,7,or8coordinatedandcan
containMg,Fe2+,Ca,orNa;theCsiteisrepresentedbytheM1,M2,andM3
crystallographicsites,whichareoctahedrallycoordinatedandcancontainMg,Fe2+,Al,
Fe3+,Ti,Mn,andLi;andtheTsiteistetrahedrallycoordinatedandgenerallycontains
Si4+butcanalsoaccommodateAl3+.
anatase:AmineralspeciesthatisapolymorphofTiO2.Seebrookiteandrutile.
anionicgroup:Amolecularunitpossessinganetnegativecharge.SiO\d\ba4()4andCO\
d\ba4()3areexamplesofanionicgroups.
antagonistic:Theconditionwhentwoormoreagentsinduceabiologicalresponsethatis
lessthanthesumoftheweightedbiologicalresponsesofeachagentalone,e.g.,one
agentinhibitstheresponseofanother.
anthophyllite:Aspeciesofamphibolewiththeidealcompositionof
(Mg,Fe2+)7Si8O22(OH)2.Theironcontentofanthophylliteistypicallysmallbutnot
zero.Anthophyllitediffersfrommagnesiocummingtoniteinthatitpossessan
orthorhombicstructure.
anthropogenic:Relatingtotheimpactofmanonnature.Thatwhichisfoundinthe
environmentbutwhichwascreatedbyhumans.
antigorite:Aserpentinemineralwithcorrugatedlayersandacompositionthatdiffers
slightlyfromtheidealcompositionforchrysotileandlizardite.
antibody:Animmuneorprotectiveproteinthatreactswithaspecificantigenonforeign
material(e.g.,bacteriaorviruses),i.e.,theantibodypossessstructuralcomponentsthat
complementstructuralcomponentsontheantigen.Thebindingoftheantibodytothe
antigenaidstheimmuneresponsebyprocessessuchastargetingforeignbodiesfor
phagocytosisorneutralizinginfectiousagents.Seeimmunoglobulin.
antigen:Amoleculethatinducestheproductionofanantibody.
antioxidants:Naturallyoccurringorsyntheticscavengersofactiveoxygenspecies.
AOS:Seeactiveoxygenspecies.

Glossary

apicaloxygen:Inpolymerizedsheetsoftetrahedra,theapicaloxygensarethosenot
sharedbetweentetrahedra.Seebasaloxygen.
arachidonicacid:Anunsaturatedfattyacidessentialinnutrition.Aprecursorofthe
eicosanoids,agroupofphysiologicallyactivesubstances(e.g.,leukotrienes,which
mediateinflammationandareinvolvedinalergicreactions,andprostaglandins,which
affectvasodilation/constrictionandstimulatebronchialsmoothmuscle,aswellasother
functions).
asbestiform:Anadjectivedescribinginorganicmaterialsthatpossesstheformand
appearanceofasbestos.Asbestiformisasubsetoffibrous,whereasbestiformimplies
relativelysmallfiberthicknessandlargefiberlength,flexibility,easyseparability,anda
parallelarrangementofthefibersinnative(unprocessed)samples.Often,asbestosfibers
occurinbundles,i.e.,theyareoftenpolyfilamentous.Seeacicular,fibrous,prismatic,
equant,tabular.
asbestos:Atermappliedtoasbestiformvarietiesofserpentineandamphibole,
particularlychrysotile,crocidolite,amosite,asbestiformtremolite,asbestiform
actinolite,andasbestiformanthophyllite.Theasbestosmineralspossessasbestiform
characteristics.
asbestosis:Afibroticlungdiseaseassociatedwithinhalationofasbestos.Thediseaseis
characterizedbytheinabilityofthelungtooxygenatebloodortoeliminatecarbon
dioxideandadecreaseintheabilitytoexpandortorespondtotheactionofthe
diaphragm.
aspectratio:Theratiooflengthtowidth.
atomicpositions:Thepositionofatomswithinacrystalstructure.Seefractional
coordinates.
attapulgite:Avarietaltermforpalygorskite.Attapulgiteisnotamineralspeciesname.
Oftenthedistinctionbetweenattapulgiteandpalygorskitehasbeenthatoneisfibrous
andtheotherisnot.However,industrialusageoftenassumesattapulgiteisnonfibrous,
whereasbiologicalusageoftenassumesattapulgiteisfibrous.Thetermattapulgite
shouldnotbeused;ratherpalygorskiteshouldbeusedinconjunctionwithmodifierssuch
asfibrousornonfibrous.Seepalygorskite.
authigenic:Saidofmineralsorrockconstituentsformedorgeneratedinplace.
autocrineeffect:Seecytokine.
baxis:Oneofthethreeprincipleaxesusedtodescribethecoordinatesystemofacrystal
structure.
basaloxygen:Inpolymerizedsheetsoftetrahedra,thebasaloxygensarethoseshared
betweentetrahedra.Seeapicaloxygen.

Glossary

bentonite:Asoft,plastic,porousrockthatcontainsmajoramountsofclayminerals,
particularlymontmorillonite.
berthierine:A1:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionof(Fe,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4.
Berthierine1Mandberthierine1Harethetwoorderedpolytypesobservedfor
berthierine.
biopyribole:Seepyribole.
biotite:Aseriesof2:1layersilicatesofidealcompositionK(Mg,Fe)3Si4O10(OH)2.
Phlogopiteisthemagnesiumendmemberoftheseries,andanniteistheironend
member.
blueasbestos:Seecrocidolite.
boehmite:AlOOH.Seediaspore.
Braziltwin:Acommontypeoftwininquartz,resultingfromregionswithdifferent
chiralityorhandedness.SeeDauphintwin.
bridgingoxygen:Anoxygenatomsharedbetweentwocoordinationpolyhedra,
particularlytetrahedra.
brightfieldTEMimage:Animageformedusingthecentral(undiffracted)electron
beam.Regionsthatscatterelectronsstronglyappeardark,andregionsthatdonotscatter
electronsappearbright.Thescatteringresponsibleforthevariationinimagecontrastcan
resultfromstructuraldifferences(e.g.,diffractionrelatedtotheorientationofacrystal)
orfromcompositionaldifferences(e.g.,diffusescatteringfromlargeatoms).Seedark
fieldTEMimage.
brindleyite:A1:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionof(Ni,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4.
bronchus:Oneoftwoprimarybranchesoftherespiratorytractbelowthetrachea.
bronchiole:Small,thinwalledbranchofabronchus.Bronchiolesusuallyterminatein
alveoli.
brookite:AmineralspeciesthatisapolymorphofTiO2.
brownasbestos:Seeamosite.
brucite:Magnesiumhydroxide[Mg(OH)2]thatgenerallyexhibitsaplanarmorphology.
However,afibrousvariety(nemalite)alsooccurs.
byssolite:Afibrousvarietyofamphibole.Danarestrictedthetermtothestiff,fibrous
varietyofactinolite(seeCh.3underByssoliteandnephrite).Also,avarietyofquartz
containingfibrousinclusionsofactinoliteorasbestos.

Glossary

caxis:Oneofthethreeprincipleaxesusedtodescribethecoordinatesystemofacrystal
structure.
calcified:Inbiology,aprocesswherebytissueornoncellularmaterialinthebodyis
hardenedasaresultoftheprecipitationofcalciumandmagnesiumsalts,particularly
calciumcarbonateandphosphate.
carcinogen:Acancercausingagent.
carcinogenic:Possessingtheabilitytoinducecancer.
carcinogenesis:Theprocessofcancerdevelopment.Carcinogenesiscanbedividedinto
theinitiationphase(implyinginteractionwithDNA)andthepromotionorprogression
phase(implyingalterationsinreplicationaffectingcelldivisionandconversionto
malignancy).
chabazite:AspeciesofzeolitewithidealcompositionCa(Al2Si4)O126H2O,wherethe
indicatesthatthewatermoleculesarenotintegraltothemordenitestructure.See
zeolite.
chalcedony:Atypeofmicrocrystallinequartz.
chainsilicate:AmineralclassconsistingofspecieswithSiO4tetrahedrapolymerizedin
onedimension.Includedinthisclassaretheamphiboles,pyroxenes,andpyroxenoids.
chemography:Inmineralogy,thegraphicalrepresentationofmineralcompositionsin
termsofendmembercomponents.
Chemokines:Afamilyof8to10kdproteinsthatpossesschemoattractantactivityfora
varietyofcelltypes(e.g.,monocytes,neutrophils,lymphocytes,andfibroblasts).
Chemokinesareimportantmediatorsofinflammationandtissuerepairprocesses.
chemotaxis:Movementofcellsororganismsinresponsetochemicals.chemotactic,adj.
chert:Atypeofmicrocrystallinequartz.
chlorite:Alayersilicatecharacterizedby2:1layersalternatingwithhydroxidesheets.
Compositionally,chloritescanbesimilarto1:1layersilicatessuchastheserpentineand
kaolingroupminerals.
chrysotile:Asubgroupnamefortubularserpentinemineralsofidealcomposition
Mg3Si2O5(OH)4.Thetermchrysotilecanbemodifiedbytheprefixesortho,clino,and
paratoidentifythecrystallographicarrangementofthesheetsinthestructure.The
resultingterms(orthochrysotile,clinochrysotile,andparachrysotile)aremineral
speciesnames.Chrysotileisfrequently(butnotalways)asbestiform.Seeserpentine.
clay:Ingeology,thistermisappliedtoparticles<4m,becausethissizeis
approximatelytheuppersizelimitforparticlesexhibitingcolloidalproperties.However,
insoilscience,thetermappliestoparticles<2m,andinengineering,thetermappliesto

Glossary

particles74m.Clayalsoreferstoanyfinegrainedlayersilicate,suchaschrysotile,
kaolinite,smectite(chiefconstituentofbentonite),andillite.
cleavage:Thepropertyofanindividualcrystaltofractureorbreakalong
crystallographicallydefinedplanesdeterminedbythestructureofthematerial.Cleavage
canbepronounced(asinthecleavagethatproducesthesheetsinmicas),toweak,to
absent(asinmaterialssuchasglasses).Mineralscanpossessmorethanonecleavage
direction.C.f.,parting.
clino:Aprefixusedtoconnoteamonoclinicstructure,e.g.,clinoptiloliteisthe
monoclinicvarietyofthemineralptilolite(aformerlyusedtermformordenite).
clinoptilolite:Azeolitewiththeidealcomposition(Na,K)6(Al6Si30)O7220H2O,
wheretheindicatesthatthewatermoleculesarenotintegraltotheclinoptilolite
structure.Naturalclinoptiloliteisgenerallynonfibrous.Seezeolite.
cocarcinogen:Anagentthatisgenerallynotcarcinogenicbyitselfbutmayincreasethe
tumoryieldofaknowncarcinogen.
coesite:AhighpressurepolymorphofSiO2.
cohort:Agroupofindividualswithsimilarbackgroundsorcharacteristics.Cohortsare
usedinepidemiologicalstudiestodeterminethebiologicaleffectsrelatedtoaspecific
activityoragent.
collagen:Afibrousproteinfoundintheconnectivetissue.Also,theprinciple
componentofscartissuethatformsduringfibrosisofthelung.
comminution:Pulverizationorreductiontominuteparticles.
complement:Aproteincomplex,normallypresentintheserum.Theactivationof
complementisparttheimmuneresponseandinvolvesasequenceofeventsleadingtothe
destructionofcertainbacteriaandothercells.
confluence:Theconditionwhencellsinculturehavereachedamonolayercoverageand
growthratediminishes.
congruent:Seedissolution.
connectivetissue:Acollectionofsimilarcellsandintercellularsubstancesthatforthe
frameworkoftheanimalbody.
coordinationnumber:Thenumberofanionsnearestneighboringions.
coordinationpolyhedron:Avolumedescribedbyanionsnearestneighboringions.
Typically,mineralsarerepresentedbycoordinationpolyhedraconsistingofacationin
theinteriorofthepolyhedronandanionsattheapicesofthepolyhedron.Tetrahedraand
octahedraareexamplesofcoordinationpolyhedra.

Glossary

coordinationstructure:Acrystalstructurethatcanberepresentedwithcoordination
polyhedra.
corundum:AmineralspeciesthatisapolymorphofAl2O3=Al2O3.Corundumis
isostructuralwithhematite(Fe2O3).
cristobalite:ApolymorphofSiO2.Thefieldofstabilityforcristobaliteoccursathigh
temperature;however,cristobalitecanexistorevengrownmetastablyatlow
temperature.
crocidolite:Avarietalnameforblueasbestos,usuallyasbestiformriebeckite.Ifthe
mineralspeciesinasampleisknowntoberiebeckite,thetermasbestiformriebeckitecan
beusedtoprovidegreaterdetail.Seeamphibole,riebeckite.
cronstedtite:A1:1layersilicatewiththeidealcompositionFe2+Fe3+2O5(OH)4.There
areanumberofpolytypeswithspecificmineralspeciesnames.

crystal:Ahomogeneous,solidbodyofachemicalelement,compound,orsolidsolution
havingaregularlyrepeatingatomicarrangement.
crystalstructure:Thestructureofacrystallinematerial,i.e.,amaterialpossessinglong
rangeperiodicorderandtranslationalsymmetry.Mineralcrystalstructuresaretypically
representedusingaunitcell,whichdefinesasubsetoftheentirestructure.Theentire
structurecanthenbeproducedbytranslatingtheunitcellalongthecelledges.Theshape
oftheunitcellisdescribedwithaxes(a,b,andc)andtheirangularrelationships(=
bc,=ac,and=ab),andthesealsodefinethecoordinatesystemusedtodescribe
atomicpositions.Themagnitudesoftheseaxesandtheanglesbetweenthem(i.e.,the
latticeparameters)aredenotedbya,b,c,,,and.Atomicpositionsaregenerally
describedintermsoffractionalcoordinates,whichgivethepositionsoftheatomrelative
totheoriginoftheunitcell.Theoriginhasthecoordinates(x,y,z)of(0,0,0);thecorner
ofthecellattheendoftheaaxishasthecoordinates(1,0,0);thebaxishasthe
coordinates(0,1,0);andsoon.Anatomhalfwayalongthebandcaxeshasthe
coordinates(0,0.5,0.5).Thisnotationforcoordinatesshouldnotbeconfusedwiththe
notationforMillerindices,whichareusedtodescribetheorientationofacrystalface.
Anothersimilarnotationisusedtodescribetheorientationofavector,e.g.,[100]
describesavectorofunitlengthalongthedirectionoftheaaxis.Ingeneral,these
notationsforvectorsandplanesdifferfromthenotationforatomiccoordinatesbythe
absenceofcommasseparatingthevalues.Theabovedescriptionprovidesinformation
ontheidealstructureofthecrystal,asdeterminedbytechniquesthatmeasuretheaverage
propertiesofacrystal(e.g.,Xraydiffraction).Mostnaturalmaterials,however,deviate
fromtheidealstructure.Thesedeviationsincludecompositionalvariations,slight
displacementsinatompositions,andotherdefects.Thesepropertiescanbemeasured
withtechniquesthatexaminelocalenvironments,suchasIRspectroscopyor
transmissionelectronmicroscopy.
crystalline:Anadjectivetodescribeanymaterialpossessingthepropertiesofacrystal,
i.e.,longrangetranslationalperiodicity.

Glossary

crystallographicaxis:Oneofthethreevectors(a,b,andc)thatdefinetheunitcellofa
crystal.Thelatticeparameters(a,b,andc)refertothelengths(magnitutdes)ofthe
vectorsa,b,andc.
crystallographicplane:SeeMillerindices.
culture:Thepropagationofmicroorganismsorcellsonorinmedia.
cummingtonite:Aseriesofamphiboleswiththegeneralizedcomposition
(Mg,Fe2+)7Si8O22(OH)2.Threemineralspeciesconsitutethisseries:magnesio
cummingtonitewithMg/(Mg+Fe2+)>0.7;cummingtonitewith0.7>Mg/(Mg+Fe2+)>
0.3;andgruneritewith0.3>Mg/(Mg+Fe2+).Asbestiformvarietiesoftheseamphiboles
areoftenreferredtoasamosite.Cummingtonitediffersfromanthophylliteinthatit
possessamonoclinicstructure.
cytokine:Aproteinreleasedfromonecelltypeandthatmodifiesthebiological
responsesoftheproducingcell(autocrineeffect)orthoseofothercelltypes(paracrine
effect).Cytokinesincludetumornecrosisfactor(TNF),interleukins(e.g.,IL1,IL2),
andtransofmringgrowthfactors(e.g.,TGFandTGF).
cytotoxic:Anadjectivetodescribeanysubstancethatpossessestheabilitytokill(orto
lyse)cells.
darkfieldTEMimage:Animageformedbyusinganaperturetoexcludethecentral
(undiffracted)electronbeam.Regionsthatarediffractingintotheapertureappear
bright,andregionsthatarenotdiffractingintotheapertureappeardark.Seebrightfield
TEMimage.
Dauphintwin:Acommontypeoftwininquartz,resultingfromthetwopossible
orientationsassumablebytetrahedraduringthetransitionfromquartztoquartz.
Partsofthecrystalwillassumeoneorientationandotherpartswillassumetheother
orientation.SeeBraziltwin.
defectstructure:Thestructuresthatdefinethedepartureofacrystalfromitsideal
structure.Defectstructuresdonotoccurinalongrangeorderedfashion.Pointdefects
(e.g.,misplacedatoms)andplanardefects(e.g.,stackingfaults)areexamplesofdefect
structures.
dhkl:Theinterplanarspacing(i.e.,thelengthofthevectornormaltotheplanes)forthe
plane(hkl).
diagenesis:Alterationofarockormineralresultingfromconditions<1kbarand<100
to300C.Diagenesisisanalogoustomildmetamorphism.
diaspore:AlOOH.Seeboehmite.

10

Glossary

dickite:A1:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionofAl2Si2O5(OH)4.Dickiteisa
memberofthekaolingroup.
dioctahedralsheet:Anoctahedralsheetinwhichtwothirdsoftheoctahedralsites(cf.
trioctahedralsheet)areoccupiedbyacation.
dioctahedralsubstitution:Thesubstitutionofvacanciesinatrioctahedralsheet.
diopside:ApyroxenemineralwithanidealcompositionofCaMgSi2O6.Itisthe
pyroxeneanalogoftremolite.
displacivetransformation:Aphasetransitioncharacterizedbythebendingofchemical
bondsbutforwhichnochemicalbondsarebroken.Thesetransitionsoccurrapidlyand
arereversible.Seereconstructivetransformation.
dissolution:Theprocessofreleasingsolidconstituentstoafluid.Amineralissaidto
dissolvecongruentlywhenthereleaseofmaterialtothefluidcoincideswiththe
stoichiometryofthedissolvingmineral.Duringincongruentdissolution,the
stoichiometryofthematerialreleasedtothefluiddiffersfromthatofthemineral,soa
solidwithadifferentcomposition(e.g.,aleachedlayer)remainsbehind.
ditrigonal:Aformconsistingofsixsideswithalternateanglesofequalmagnitude.
dolomite:Acarbonate(structurallysomewhatsimilartocalcite)withanidealcompo
sitionofCaMg(CO3)2.
dyspnea:Difficultorlaboredbreathing.
EDS:Energydispersivespectrometry.TheintensityofXraysemanatingfromasample
ismeasuredbyadetectorasafuntionofenergy(i.e.,wavelength).Allenergiesof
interestaremeasuredsimulataneously.
effectorcell:Acellthatmayfunctionbyelaboratinggrowthfactorsorotherfactors
contributingtoinflammationofdisease.Generallyreferstocellsoftheimmunesystem.
C.f.,targetcell.
eicosanoid:Seearachidonicacid.
enantiomorphictwin:Atwininwhichonedomainisrelatedtotheotherbyachangein
handedness,i.e.,byreflectionacrossamirrororinversionthroughapoint.
endothelium:Thelayerofcellsthatlinethebloodandlymphvessels,theheart,and
othercavitiesofthebody.
endmember:Amineralspeciesthatdefinesoneendpointofamineralsolidsolution
series.Typically,endmemberreferstoacompositionalendpoint.Forexample,
tremolite[Ca2Mg5Si8O22(OH)2]andferroactinolite[Ca2Fe5Si8O22(OH)2]areend
membersofamineralserieswithavaryingFe/Mgratio.

Glossary

11

enzyme:Anorganiccatalyst,oftenaproteinsecretedbycells.Enzymescatalyze
chemicalreactions.
eolian:Derivedbyaprocessinvolvingthewind,e.g.,involvingtransportationbythe
wind.
eosinophil:Atypeofleukocyte.
epidemiology:Thestudyofdiseaseinhumanpopulations.
epitaxy:Theconditionwhereonecrystalservesasatemplateduringthegrowthof
anothercrystalandtheresultingmineralpairexhibitsspecificcrystallographic
relationshipsandtheboundaryisoftenperiodic.
epithelium:Thelayersofcellsandconnectingtissuesthatformthecoveringofinternal
andexternalbodysurfaces,includingtheliningoftherespiratorytract.
epithelialcell:Atypeofcellthatoccursinanexternalsurfaceorintheliningofan
internalsurface.Theskinandthesurfaceoftherespiratorytractconsistofepithelial
cells.
equant:Saidofacrystalhavingthesameornearlythesamedimensionsinalldirections.
Seeasbestiform,fibrous,prismatic,acicular,tabular.
erionite:AfibrouszeoliteofidealcompositionK2NaCa1.5Mg(Al8Si28)O7228H2O,
wheretheindicatesthatthewatermoleculesarenotintegraltotheerionitestructure.
Erionitehasbeenimplicatedasthecausativeagentinmesotheliomasinnon
occupationallyexposedindividualsinTurkey,andithasbeenshowntobecytotoxic,
genotoxic,fibrogenic,andcarcinogenicinavarietyofinvitroandinvivoassays.See
zeolite.
erythrocyte:Redbloodcell.
etiology:Thesciencedealingwiththecausesofdisease.
euhedral:Saidofamineralgrainpossessingamorphologydefinedbyitsownrational
crystalfaces.
exsolution:Theprocesswherebyacrystalseparatesintotwoormorecrystallinephases
withoutadditionorremovalofmaterial.
feldspar:AmineralgroupwiththegeneralformulaKxNayCa1(x+y)Al2(x+y)Si2+
(x+y)O8.Feldsparisthemostcommonmineralgroupattheearthssurface.
Fentonreaction:Agenericoxidation/reductionreactionbasedonthereaction
Fe2+Fe3++e.ThereactionwasfirstproposedbyH.J.H.Fentonin1894(J.
ChemicalSociety65,899910)asamechanismtooxidizetartaricacid.Asimilar
mechanismwasproposedbyF.HaberandJ.Weissin1934(Proc.RoyalSocietyLondon

12

Glossary

A147,332351)inthebreakdownofhydrogenperoxide.Inresearchonmineralinduced
disease,FentonreactionisoftenusedtorefertotheFecatalyzedoxidation/reduction
processresultingintheformationofactiveoxygenspecies,andHaberWeissreactionis
sometimesusedtoreferspecificallytothereactioninvolvingthetheFecatalyzed
breakdownofH2O2.
ferritin:Theironcontainingproteinassociatedwithferruginousbodies.Originally
thoughttobeaproductofredbloodcelllysis,ferritinoccursinseveraldifferentforms,
originatesfromdifferentbiologicalprocesses,andisgeneratedinseveraldifferent
organs.
ferroactinolite:AnamphibolewithidealcompositionCa2(Fe2+,Mg)5Si8O22(OH)2.
FerroactinoliteistheironrichendmemberoftheMgFe2+seriestremoliteferro
actinolite,with0.5>Mg/(Mg+Fe2+).Seeactinolite,amphibole,andtremolite.
ferruginousbody:Mineralfiberscoatedwithanironrichmaterialbelievedtobederived
fromferritinorhemosiderin.Sometimes,ferruginousbodiesaredescribedintermsof
themineralformingthecore,e.g.,asbestosbodyorzeolitebody.
fiber:Mineralogistshavegenerallyappliedthetermfibertomineralswithahighly
elongatemorphologydevelopedduringgrowth.However,numerousotherdefinitions
havebeenassumedforthetermfiber,including:(1)a3:1aspectratio;(2)being
respirable(e.g.,lessthanacriticalsizesothatitcanpassthroughtherespiratorytractto
thebronchiolesandalveolarducts);(3)beinganindividualparticleofasbestos;and(4)
beinglessthanaspecificdiameterbutgreaterthanaspecificlength[e.g.,Stantonetal.
(1981,J.NationalCancerInstitute67,965)proposedthatmostcarcinogenicfibersare
0.25mindiameterand>8minlength,whereasotherworkershavesuggestedother
sizecriteria].Clearly,thedefinitionforthetermfiberisnotrigorous,ratheritis
generallydefinedoperationally.
fibril:Anindividualfiberofasbestos,generallyasinglecrystal.Often,anasbestos
particleconsistsofnumerousfibrilsboundtogether.Chrysotilefibrilsaregenerally~25
nmindiameterwithacentraltubeof~7nm,butthereismuchvariationinthese
dimensions.
fibroblast:Theprimarycellofconnectivetissue,includinginthelung.Fibroblasts
secretemolecularcollagenthatispolymerizedtoformconnectivetissuefibers.
fibrogenic:Possessingtheabilitytoinducefibrosis.
fibrosis:Seepulmonaryfibrosis.
fibrous:Inmineralogy,accordingtoZoltai(1981,ReviewsinMineralogy9A,237278),
amineralissaidtobefibrousifitgivestheappearanceofbeingcomposedoffibers,
whetherthemineralactuallycontainsseparablefibersornot.Seeasbestiform,acicular,
prismatic,equant,tabular.

Glossary

13

flint:Atypeofmicrocrystallinequartz.
foci:Aconcentrationofcellsthatmaypileupononeanother.
fractionalcoordinates:Thecoordinates(designatedx,y,andz)thatdefinetheposition
ofanatomwithintheunitcell.Thecoordinatesaredefinedintermsoffractionsofeach
axisofthecoordinatesystem(i.e.,eachsideoftheunitcell).
frameworksilicate:AmineralclassconsistingofspecieswithSiO\d\ba4()4tetrahedra
polymerizedinthreedimensions,alongwithothercations.Includedinthisclassarethe
feldsparmineralsandthezeolites.Thesilicaminerals(e.g.,quartz,tridymite,
cristobalite)arecommonlygroupedamongthesilicatesforconvenience,thoughthey
technicallyareoxides,notsilicates.
fraipontite:A1:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionof(Zn,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4.
fullersearth:Anaturallyoccurring,finegrained,earthymaterialmadeupofvarious
silicates,chieflytheclaymineralsmontmorilloniteandpalygorskite.
ganguemineral:Thevaluelessmineralsofanore,whereanoreisarockcontaininga
mineablemetalormineral.
garnet:AmineralgroupwiththegeneralformulaA3B2Si4O12,whereAistypically
Ca2+,Mg2+,Fe2+,orMn2+,andBistypicallyAl3+,Fe3+,orCr3+.
genotoxic:Possessingtheabilitytoinducedamagetothegeneticmaterial(i.e.,DNA)of
acell.
gibbsite:Al(OH)3.
goethite:FeOOH.Seelepidocrociteandakaganeite.
granite:Anigneousrockcontainingmajoramountsofquartzandfeldsparandlesser
amountsofotherminerals.
grossular:AgarnetmineralwithanidealcompositionofCa3Al2Si4O12.
growthfactor:Highlyspecificproteinsinserumthataregenerallypresentinverylow
concentrationsbutthatarenecessaryforcellgrowthbystimulatingcelldivision.See
cytokine.
grunerite:Seecummingtonite.
habit:Theshapeormorphologythatacrystaloraggregateofcrystalsassumesduring
crystallization.
HaberWeissreaction:SeeFentonreaction.

14

Glossary

halloysite:Amemberofthekaolingroupofminerals.Halloysitecanexhibittubular,
fibrous,andsphericalhabits.
hematite:AmineralspeciesthatisapolymorphofFe2O3=Fe2O3.Seemaghemite.
hemolysis:Thedestruction,alteration,dissolution,orlysisofredbloodcells.This
resultsinburstingoftheredbloodcelltoreleasehemoglobin.
hexagonalsymmetry:Sixfoldrotationalsymmetry.
hexagonalsystem:Oneofthesixcrystalsystems,characterizedbyeitherathreefoldor
sixfoldaxisthatisperpendiculartothreeidenticalaxesthatintersectatanglesof120.
histology:Microscopicanatomy,i.e.,thestudyofthestructureandchemistryoftissues
asrelatedtotheirfunctions.
homeostasis:Equilibriuminthebodywithrespecttovariousfunctionsandthechemical
compositionsoffluidsandtissues.
HRTEM:Highresolutiontransmissionelectronmicroscopy.Typically,modern100to
300keVTEMshavepointtopointresolutionsintherangeof1.6to3.0,i.e.,
approximatelyequivalenttomostnearestneighbordistancesinminerals.Hence,these
TEMscanproduceimagesoftheatomicstructureofamaterialunderfortuitous
conditions.
hydrologiccycle:Thecyclingofwaterbetweentheatmosphereandtheearthssurface,
eitherviatranspirationorevaporation.Thecycleincludesthemovementofwatertothe
seas.
hydrothermalactivity:Ametamorphicorigneousprocessinvolvingheated(upto
hundredsofdegreesCelsius)water.Typically,thisheatedfluidinteractswiththerocks
throughwhichitflows,formingnew(oftenhydrous)minerals.
hydroxylgroup:Inmineralogyandgeochemistry,thetermappliestothenegatively
chargedOH(orhydroxideion),whichmaybepresentasananionicgroupinamineral
structureorasadissolvedspeciesinafluid(sometimesfunctioningascomplexing
agent).Thisisdistinctfromthehydroxylradical.
hydroxylradical:Inbiology,thetermgenerallyappliestotheneutrallychargedOH,
whichisahighlyactivefreeradicalcapableofdamagingotherhydrogenbearing
molecules,suchasDNA.Thisisdistinctfromthehydroxylgroup.Thehydroxyl
radicalissometimeswrittenasOH,toemphasizethattheunpairedelectronisassociated
withtheoxygenatom.
hyperplasia:Anincreaseinthenormalnumbersofcells.Hyperplasiaoftencausesan
increaseinthesizeofanorgan.
IARC:InternationalAgencyforResearchonCancer.

Glossary

15

idealcomposition:Thecompositiontypicallygivenforamineralspecies.Many
minerals,however,exhibitsolidsolution.Sotheactualcompositionofamineralsample
maydifferfromtheidealcomposition.
Ig:Aprefixindicatingimmunoglobulin,e.g.,IgAandIgG.Seeimmunoglobulin.
IL:Aprefixindicatinginterleukin,e.g.,IL1,IL2,etc.Seeinterleukin.
illite:A2:1layersilicatewiththeidealcomposition(K,H3O)Al2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2(as
givenbyNickelandNichols,1991).However,mostclaymineralogistsagreethatillite
generallycontainsapartiallyunoccupiedinterlayersite,andamoregeneralizedformula
forilliteisA+Al2(Si4xAlx)O10(OH)2,wherex0.7p.f.u.andA+isgenerallyK.
immuneresponse:Thehostresponsetopathogens.Thisresponsemayincludethe
activationofcells,anincreaseinthenumbersofspecificcells,andareleaseof
substancesthatcanneutralizethepathogen(e.g.,activeoxygenspecies)ormediateother
aspectsoftheimmuneresponse(e.g.,cytokines).
immunoglobulin:Oneofaclassofstructurallyrelatedproteins.Antibodiesare
immunoglobulins,andimmunoglobulinsprobablyallfunctionasantibodies.
AbbreviatedIg.
incongruent:Seedissolution.
indexofrefraction:Theratioofthevelocityoflightinvacuotothevelocityoflightin
thematerial(e.g.,crystal).
inflammation:Aprocesscharacterizedbytheinfluxofcellsoftheimmunesystemintoa
tissue.Thesecellsreleasesubstancesthatmayeitherexacerbateormitigatedisease.
Inflammationisgenerallyalocalizedresponsetoinjurytocellsortissues.The
inflammatoryprocessmaybeacute(endingafteraperiodoftime)orchronic(whichmay
leadtotheformationofdamagedorscarredtissue).
initiation:AheritablechangeormodificationoftheDNAofacellthatisanearlystepin
carcinogenesis.Seecarcinogenesis.
inosilicate:Seechainsilicate.
interlayerregion:Theregionbetweenthe2:1or1:1layersinlayersilicates.Thisregion
istypicallyeitherunoccupiedoroccupiedwithcations,water,orhydroxidesheets.
interleukin:Agroupoflymphokinesandpolypeptidehormines.Lymphokinesare
releasedbylymphocytesfollowingcontactwithaspecificantigen,andtheyhelpeffect
cellularimmunitybystimulatingmonocytesandmacrophages.Seecytokine.
Interleukin1(IL1):Aproteinthatcanmodulateimmuneandinflammatoryresponses.
IL1existsintwoforms(and),bothhavingamolecularweightof~17kd.

16

Glossary

Interleukin8(IL8):An~68kdproteinthatisapotentchemoattractantforneutrophilic
leukocytes.IL8isanimportantmediatorofinflammatorycellrecruitmenttositesof
tissueinjuryorinfectionandisamemeberoftheChemokinecytokinefamily.
interstitium:Asmallareaorspacewithinanorganortissue(e.g.,thelung).
invitro:Inanartificialenvironment,e.g.,inatesttubeormedia.
invivo:Inthelivingbody.
ionicstrength:Ameasureofthesalinityofanaqueoussolution,givenbytheequation
I=miz\d\ba4()i ,whereIistheionicstrength,miandziarethemolalityandcharge
ofeachspecies(i)inthesolution.
isomorphoussubstitutions:Chemicalsubstitutionsthatoccurinamineralseries
possessingonestructureacrosstheseries.
isostructural:Possessingthesamestructure.
isotropic:Inopticalmicroscopy,saidofamineralormaterialthroughwhichlighttravels
thesamespeedinanydirection.
jimthompsonite:Atriplechainsilicatewithastructuresimilartoanamphibolebutwith
widerchains.Theidealformulaforjimthompsoniteis(Mg,Fe2+)10Si12O32(OH)4.
Jimthompsoniteoftenoccursasdefectswithinmagnesiumrichamphiboles,suchas
anthophylliteorcummingtonite.Themonoclinicvarietyisnamedclinojimthompsonite.
kaolin:Asoftearthyrockthatcontainsmajoramountsofkaolingroupminerals,
particularlykaolinite.
kaolingroup:Agroupof1:1layersilicateswiththegeneralformulaAl2Si2O5(OH)4.
Mineralsinthisgroupincludekaolinite,dickite,nacrite,andhalloysite.
kaolinite:Amemberofthekaolingroup.
kd:Kilodalton.Adaltonisequivalenttoanatomicmassunit,whichisdefinedas1/12
theatomicweightof12C.
kellyite:A1:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionof
(Mn,Mg,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4.
lavage:Aprocedureusedtoharvestcells(andanyothereasilymobilizedmaterialsuch
asparticlesorfluids)fromaspecificorgan.Lavagecanbeperformedinsitu(i.e.,ona
livingorganism)oronaspecificorganremovedbyexcision.
layersilicate:AmineralclassconsistingofspecieswithSiO\d\ba4()4tetrahedra
polymerizedintwodimensionstoformtetrahedralsheets.Includedinthisclassare1:1

Glossary

17

layersilicates(e.g.,serpentine,kaolinite),2:1layersilicates(e.g.,talc,mica),the2:1:1
layersilicates(e.g.,chlorite),andmodulatedlayersilicates(e.g.,palygorskite,sepiolite).
1:1layersilicateshaveonetetrahedralsheetbondedtoonesheetofoctahedrally
coordinatedcations(termedoctahedralsheet),andthese1:1unitsarestackedatopone
another.2:1layersilicateshaveatetrahedralsheetbondedtoeachsideoftheoctahedral
sheettoform2:1unitsthatarestackedatoponeanother.Modulatedlayersilicates
generallyconsistof1:1or2:1unitsthatarediscontinuous,formingislandsorribbonsof
1:1or2:1structurethatareinterruptedbyregionswithcomplexstructures.Examplesof
modulatedlayersilicatesincludeantigoriteandgreenalite(modulated1:1layersilicates)
andpalygorskiteandsepiolite(modulated2:1layersilicates).
leach:Toremoveconstituentsselectivelyfromamineralorrock.
lepidocrocite:FeOOH.Seegoethiteandakaganeite.
lesion:Aninjuryorotherchangeofanorganortissueofthebodywhichleadsto
impairmentorlossoffunction.
leukocyte:Whitebloodcell.
leukotriene:Seearachidonicacid.
lithic:Pertainingtoormadeofstoneorrock.
lizardite:Asubgroupnameforplanarserpentinemineralsofidealcomposition
Mg3Si2O5(OH)4.Thetermlizarditecanbemodifiedbythesuffixes1Tand2H1to
identifythecrystallographicarrangementofthesheetsinthestructure.Theresulting
terms(lizardite1Tandlizardite2H1)aremineralspeciesnames.Seeserpentine.
lumen:Theinteriorspacewithinatubularstructure,suchasabronchus.
lymphocyte:Lymphcell.
lyse:Tokillacell.
lysosome:Aninternalvacuolecontainingenzymesusedbyacelltobreakdowna
foreignbody,suchasabacterium.
macrophage:Acelltypethatispartoftheimmunesystem.Macrophagesaretypesof
phagocytes,i.e.,theyarecapableofengulfing(andsubsequentlytransportingor
destroying)foreignbodies.
macrophageinflammatoryprotein2(MIP2):An~6kdproteinthatischemotacticfor
neutrophilicleukocytes.MIP2isanimportantmediatorofinflammatorycell
recruitment.
maghemite:AmineralspeciesthatisapolymorphofFe2O3.Fe2O3.Seehematite.
magnesiocummingtonite:Seecummingtonite.

18

Glossary

magnesioriebeckite:Magnesiumendmemberoftheriebeckiteseriesofamphiboles.
magnesite:Acarbonate(similartocalcite)withanidealcompositionofMgCO3.
magnetite:Amineralspeciesinthespinelgroupwiththeidealcompositionof
(Fe2+,Mg)Fe3+O4.
majorelement:Anyelementpresentinmajoramounts,generally>~0.5wt%forthe
elementsoxide.Seeminorelementandtraceelement.
massive:Saidofamineralthatisphysicallyisotropic,e.g.,lackingaplaty,fibrous,
asbestiform,oracicularmorphology.Massivemineralsarecommonlypolycrystalline.
mastcell:Acelltypeoftheconnectivetissue.
medium:Thesolutionusedtogrowcellsinvitro.Mediagenerallyconsistofboth
nutrientsandantibioticstoprotectthecellsfromcontamination.
mesothelioma:Atypeofmalignanttumorarisingfrommesothelialcells.
mesothelium:Theliningofthelung(pleuralmesothelium),digestiveorgans(peritoneal
mesothelium),orheart(pericardialmesothelium).Asinglelayerofmesothelialcells
constitutesthemesothelium.
metamorphism:Themineralogical,chemical,andstructuraladjustmentofrocksin
responsetochangesintheoriginalphysicalandchemicalconditionstowhichtherock
equilibrated.Metamorphismisrestrictedtochangesthatoccurathighpressureand
temperature.Lowertemperatureprocessessimilartometamorphismincludediagenesis
andweathering.
metastable:Saidofamineralorphasethatisunderconditionsoutsideofits
thermodynamicstabilityfieldorofamineralorphasethathasnofieldofthermodynamic
stability.
mica:Agroupof2:1layersilicateswithanidealchargeof1p.f.u.onthe2:1layers.
ThischargeisintroducedbythesubstitutionofAlforSiinthetetrahedralsheets,anditis
compensatedbyunivalentcations(e.g.,KandNa)inthe12coordinatedsiteswithinthe
interlayerregion.
microtopography:Themorphologyofthesurfaceonthescaleofthechemical
interactionsthattakeplacethere,usuallyontheorderof101to100nm.
Millerindices:Theindexesh,k,andlusedtodescribeacrystalface.Thevaluesfor
Millerindicesaredeterminedbythereciprocalsoftheinterceptsmadebytheplaneon
thea,b,andcaxes,respectively.Hence,the(100)planeintersectsthea,b,andc
axesat1,,and.Theuseofbrackets{hkl}indicatesaclassoffacesorplanesthat
arecrystallographicallyequivalent,i.e.,theyarerelatedbyasymmetryoperation.

Glossary

19

mineral:Anaturallyoccurringinorganicsubstancepossessingacompositionthatis
fixedorthatvarieswithinwelldefinedlimitsandaperiodicstructurewithtranslational
symmetry.Asubstancethatdoesnotpossesstranslationalsymmetry(i.e.,isnot
crystalline)issometimesreferredtoasamineraloid.
mineralfamily:Thebroadestdivisionwithintheclassificationschemeforminerals.
Silicatescompriseamineralfamily.
mineralgroup:Asubdivisionofamineralfamilyconsistingofmineralspecieswith
similarstructures.Amphibolescompriseamineralgroup.
mineralseries:Twoormoremineralspecieswiththesamestructurebutdifferent
compositions,suchthatintermediatecompositionscanoccur.Forexample,tremoliteand
ferroactinoliteformamineralserieswithavaryingFe:Mgratio.
mineralspecies:Analogoustoanimalandplantspecies.Themostspecificdistinct
divisionwithintheclassificationschemeforminerals.Amineralspeciesnamedefinesa
specificstructureandspecificcompositionorcompositionalrange.Mineralspeciesare
sometimessubdividedintovarieties(i.e.,crocidoliteisavarietalnameforasbestiform
riebeckite).
minorelement:Anyelementpresentinminoramounts,generally~0.05to0.5wt%for
theelementsoxide.Seemajorelementandtraceelement.
MIP2:Seemacrophageinflammatoryprotein2.
mitosis:Asexualreproduction.Nucleardivisionresultinginexactduplicatesofacell.
modulatedlayersilicate:Agroupofmineralswithstructurebasedonalayersilicate
likestructure,wherethelayersarenolongercontinuousintwodimensionsbutform
stripsorislands.Thesilicatesheetsremaincontinuousbuthavenonbridgingoxygens
pointingintwodifferentdirections.
moganite:AmetastablepolymorphofSiO2.
Mohshardnessscale:HardnessesofmineralsaretypicallyreportedusingtheMohs
hardnessscale,whichrangesfrom1to10(softesttohardest).Thescaleisdefinedbyten
mineralsthathavebeenassignedintegralhardnesses:talc(withahardnessof1),
gypsum,calcite,fluorite,apatite,orthoclase,quartz,topaz,corundum,anddiamond(with
ahardnessof10).Othercommonmineralsareusedtodefinetheremainingintegral
hardnessvalues.
monoclinicsystem:Oneofthesixcrystalsystems.Monoclinicmineralshaveunitcells
definedbyacoordinatesysteminwhichoneoftheaxes(theuniqueaxis)is
perpendiculartotheothertwobuttheremainingtwoaxesneednotbeorthogonal.
Specifically,themonoclinicsystemischaracterizedbyonlyasingletwofoldaxis,a
singleplaneofsymmetry,oracombinationofthetwo.

20

Glossary

monocyte:Amononuclearleukocyte(9to12mindiameter)thatnormallycontitutes
3to8%oftheleukocytesinthecirculatingblood.Monocytescantransformto
macrophages.
montmorillonite:Amineralspeciesofthesmectitegroupwiththeidealcomposition
(Na,Ca)0.3(Al,Mg)2Si4O10(OH)2nH2O,wheretheindicatesthatthewater
moleculesarenotintegraltothemontmorillonitestructure.Montmorilloniteisamember
ofthesmectitegroup.
mordenite:Speciesofzeolitewithidealcomposition
K2.8Na1.5Ca2(Al9Si39)O9629H2O,wheretheindicatesthatthewatermolecules
arenotintegraltothemordenitestructure.Thus,thiszeolitegenerallyhasanAl:Siratio
of~1:4,althoughtheexactratiovariesbetweensamplesandcanbechemically
manipulated.Seezeolite.Mostnaturalmordenitesarefibrous.
mucociliaryescalator:Theapparatusresponsibleforclearingforeignagentsfromthe
respiratorytract.Particles,otherforeignagents,andcells(e.g.,macrophages)canbe
entrappedinthemucusliningtherespiratorytract.Thismucusispropelledupwardand
outoftherespiratorytractbythebeatingactionofepithelialcellscilia.Thismucuscan
thenbeswallowedorexpectorated.Foramoredetaileddiscussion,seeChapter14.
muscovite:A2:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionofKAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2.
Muscoviteisamemberofthemicagroup.
nacrite:A1:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionofAl2Si2O5(OH)4.Nacriteisa
memberofthekaolingroup.
npouite:A1:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionofNi3Si2O5(OH)4.
neoplasm:Newandabnormalgrowth.
neutrophil:Amaturewhitebloodcellnormallyconstituting54to65%ofthetotal
numberofleukocytes.
NMR:Nuclearmagneticresonance.
O :Seesuperoxide.
octahedralsheet:Apolymerizedsheetofedgesharingoctahedra.Astructuralunit
commontomanyhydroxidesandlayersilicates.
octahedron:Acoordinationpolyhedroncharacterizedby6apicesand8triangularsides.
(octahedra,pl.)
odinite:A1:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionof(Fe,Al)3(Si,Al)2O5(OH)4.
Odinite1Mandodinite1Tarethespeciesnames.
OH:Seehydroxylradical.

Glossary

21

OM:Opticalmicroscopy.
opal:AnamorphousorpoorlycrystallineformofSiO2(i.e.,amineraloid).Oftenopal
containsasignificantamountofwater,soitsformulaiswrittenasSiO2nH2O,wheren
isgenerally<0.5.Thereareseveralvarietiesofopal(e.g.,opalAandopalCT)that
differinstructure.Forexample,opalCThascristobaliteandtridymitelikeaspectsto
itsstructure.
opsonin:Asubstancethatenhancesphagocytosis.Aspecificorimmuneopsoninisan
antibodyformedinresponsetoaspecificantigen,i.e.,ithasstructuralcomponentsthat
recognizestructuralcomponentsontheantigen.Seeimmunoglobulinandantibody.
organelles:Structuralcomponentsofacellthatareanalogoustoorgansinananimal.
ortho:Aprefixusedtoconnoteanorthorhombicstructure.
orthorhombicsystem:Oneofthesixcrystalsystems.Orthorhombicmineralshaveunit
cellsdefinedbyanorthogonalcoordinatesystembutwithaxesofdifferentlengths.
OSHA:OccupationalSafetyandHealthAdministration.
oxide:Inmineralogy,theoxidesareafamilyofmineralsconsistingofoxygen+cations,
wherethecationsaretypicallymetalsoralkalineearthcations.Examplesinclude
magnetite(Fe3O4),hematite(Fe2O3),rutile(TiO2),andcorundum(Al2O3).
oxygenradicals:Seeactiveoxygenspecies.
palygorskite:Amineralspeciesnameforamodulatedlayersilicatewiththeideal
composition(Mg,Al)2Si4O10(OH)4H2O,wheretheindicatesthatthewater
moleculesarenotintegraltothepalygorskitestructure.Althoughmanynonfibrous
palygorskiteshavebeendescribed,JonesandGalan(1988,ReviewsinMineralogy19,
631)suggestthattheseoccurrencesarebetterdescribedasotherclays(e.g.,illite)and
thatallpalygorskitesarefibrous.Othernamesthathavebeenusedtodescribe
palygorskiteincludeattapulgite,pilolite,andlassalite.Thetermsmountainleatherand
mountainwoodhavealsobeenusedtodescribepalygorskite,althoughsomeofthese
occurrencesmayrefertosepiolite,chrysotile,orotherminerals.Seeattapulgite,
sepiolite.
parachrysotile:Aserpentinepolymorphwithastructuresimilartochrysotile.
paracrineeffect:Seecytokine.
paragonite:A2:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionofNaAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH)2.
Paragoniteisamemberofthemicagroup.
particle:Anindividualunitconstitutingadustoraseparabledistinctunitinarock.
Particleimpliesnorestrictionswithrespecttocomposition,internalstructure,shape,or
mineralcontent.However,inadust,individualparticlesarefrequentlymonomineralic.

22

Glossary

parting:Aweaktendencyformineralstofracturealongplanes.Partingdiffersfrom
cleavageinthatitisgenerallyrelatedtothepresenceofdefects(e.g.,exsolution
lamellae)withinthemineralratherthanthecrystalstructureofthemineral.Parting
variesfromsampletosample.
pathogen:Anagentcapableofproducingdisease.
pathogenesis:Theoriginanddevelopmentofdisease.
pathology:Thestudyofthenature,causes,andeffectsofdisease.
pecoraite:A1:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionofNi3Si2O5(OH)4.
pericardium:Themembraneliningthecavitycontainingtheheart.Sometimescalled
thepericardialsac.Thepericardiumconsistofalayerofconnectivetissuecoveredwith
alayerofmesothelium.Thepartadjacenttotheheartistheepicardiumorvisceral
pericardium.
peritoneum:Themembraneliningthecavitiescontainingthestomach,intestines,etc.
Theperitoneumconsistsofalayerofconnectivetissuecoveredwithalayerof
mesothelium.Thepartadjacenttotheorgansisthevisceralperitoneum,andthepart
liningthecavityistheparietalperitoneum.
p.f.u.:performulaunit.
phagocyte:Atypeofcellcapableofinternalizingaforeignbodyviatheprocesscalled
phagocytosis.
phagocytosis:Theprocessofengulfingaforeignbody.Typically,acell(phagocyte)
willextendpseudopodiaaroundtheforeignbodyandinternalizeitinacavity
(phagosome).Onceinternalized,thecellcansecretevariousagentsinanattemptto
destroytheforeignbody.
phagosome:Theinternalvacuoleformedduringphagocytosis.Thisvacuolewillcontain
theforeignbodytargetedbythephagocyte.
phagolysosome:Theinternalvacuoleformedbythemergingofaphagosomeanda
lysosome.
phillipsite:Aspeciesofzeolitewithidealcomposition
K(Ca0.5,Na)2(Al3Si5)O166H2O,wheretheindicatesthatthewatermoleculesare
notintegraltothemordenitestructure..Seezeolite.Mostnaturalphillipsitesarefibrous.
phlogopite:A2:1layersilicatewithanidealcompositionofKMg3(Si3Al)O10(OH)2.
Phlogopiteisthemagnesiumendmemberofbiotiteseries.
phosphate:Afamilyofmineralswithstructurescontainingphosphorusoxygen
tetrahedra.

Glossary

23

phospholipase:Anenzymethatcatalyzesthehydrolysisofaphospholipid.
phospholipid:Alipidcontainingphosphorus.Phospholipidsconsitutecellmembranes.
phyllosilicate:Seelayersilicate.
plane:SeeMillerindices.
plaque:Adepositofmaterialonaflatsurface,suchastheepitheliumofthelungor
pleura.
pleura:Themembraneliningthecavitiescontainingthelungs.Thepleuraconsistsofa
layerofconnectivetissuecoveredwithalayerofmesothelium.Thepartcoveringthe
lungsisthevisceralpleura;thepartliningthecavityistheparietalpleura;andthe
potentialspacebetweenthevisceralandparietalpleuraisthepleuralcavityorspace.
PM10:Particulatematterlessthan10micronsindiameter.
PM2.5:Particulatematterlessthan2.5micronsindiameter.
pneumoconiosis:Inpathology,nonneoplasticreactionofthelungduetothe
accumulationofinhaleddusts.Someusesofthetermincludealllungdiseasescausedby
theaccumulationofinhaleddusts.
pointofzerocharge:PointsofzerochargearepHvaluescorrespondingtospecificstates
ofsurfacecharge.TheconventionalPZCisthepHvalueatwhichthenetparticlecharge
iszero.Thepointofzeronetprotoncharge(PZNPC)isthepHvalueatwhichthenet
protonsurfacechargeiszero,andthiscanbemeasuredbypotentiometrictitration.A
thoroughdiscussionofthedistinctionsbetweenthevariouspointsofzerochargeisgiven
bySposito(1984,TheSurfaceChemistryofSoils,OxfordUniversityPress,NewYork,
234p.).
polyanions:Polymerizedanionicgroups.
polygonalserpentine:Achrysotilelikeserpentinemineralconsistingofatubelike
crystalwithplanarserpentine(lizardite)sides.
polyhedron:Seecoordinationpolyhedron.
polymorph:Polymorphisatermappliedtomaterialswiththesamecompositionbutwith
differentstructures.
polymerized:Saidofmoleculargroups(e.g.,coordinationpolyhedra)thatsharecommon
apices,edges,orfaceswithadjacentmoleculargroups.Forexample,aSiO\d\ba4()
4tetrahedroncansharethreeofitsoxygenswithadjacentSiO\d\ba4()4tetrahedra(andso
on)toformapolymerizedsheet.
polysomaticseries:Aseriesofstructuresmadefromdifferingproportionsor
arrangementsofapairofpolysomaticslabsormodules.Forexample,pyroxene

24

Glossary

amphiboletriplechainsilicate(e.g.,jimthompsonite)micaformapolysomaticseriesof
P(pyroxene)andM(mica)modules:(P)(MP)(MMP)(M).
polysome:Incellbiology,aclusterofribosomesactiveinproteinsynthesis.
polysome:Inmineralogy,modularstructuresconstructedfromslabsoflesscomplex
structures.Forexample,theamphibolestructurecanberepresentedbyslabsofpyroxene
structure(Pslabs)alternatingwithslabsofmicastructure(Mslabs).Thus,the
amphibolestructureisapolysomethatcanbedenotedby...MPMPMP...or(MP).
polytype:Astructureformedbyorderedstackingofessentiallyidenticallayersina
specificsequence.Polytypeisasubsetofpolymorph.
prismatic:Atermusedtodescribecrystalsexhibitingaspectratios>1andhaving
parallelsides.GlossaryofGeologyoffersnorestrictionsontheaspectratio;however,
Skinneretal.(1988,AsbestosandOtherFibrousMaterials,OxfordUniv.Press,New
York)suggestthatprismaticcrystalshaveaspectratiosintherange13.See
asbestiform,fibrous,acicular,equant,tabular.
progrademetamorphism:Metamorphismthatresultsfromincreasingthepressureand
temperaturesuchthatthemineralswhichcrystallizedunderlowerpressuresand
temperaturesarenolongerstable,andtherockrecrystallizestootherminerals.
progression:Seecarcinogenesis.
proliferation:ThesequenceofeventsleadingtoDNAsynthesisandmitosis;theprocess
ofcellreplicationordivision.
promotion:Anecessaryseriesofstepsintumordevelopmentcharacterizedbyincreased
proliferation(celldivision)ofinitiatedcells.Seecarcinogenesis.
prostaglandin:Seearachidonicacid.
protein:Macromoleculesconsistingoflongsequencesofaminoacids.
protolith:Theoriginalrockfromwhichametamorphicrockdevelopedduring
metamorphism.
pulmonaryfibrosis:Alungdiseasecharacterizedbyincreaseddepositionofcollagenand
otherproteinsinthelung.Thefibroblastistheprimarycelltypeaffected.
PVPNO:polyvinyl2pyridineNoxide.Apolymercapableofbondingtonegatively
chargedsites.PVPNOhasbeenshowntodecreasethebioactivityofnegativelycharged
surfaces,suchasquartzandtheedgesofkaolinitecrystals,ostensiblybyblockingthe
danglingSiObondsatthesurface.AdetaileddiscussionofPVPNOispresentedin
Nolanetal.(1981,EnvironmentalResearch26,503520.).
pyriboles:Atermusedtodescribeanypyroxeneoramphibole.Thesemineralscanbe
difficulttodistinguishinhandsample,sopyribolewasatermintroducedbyfield

Glossary

25

geologiststocategorizetheseoccurrencesuntilidentificationcouldbemadeinthe
laboratory.Biotite(a2:1layersilicate)cansometimesbeconfusedwithpyribolesin
handsample,sothetermbiopyriboleissometimesusedtoindicatethepyribolesplus
micasandtalc.
pyrophyllite:Amineralspeciesthatisa2:1layersilicatewiththeidealcomposition
Al2Si4O10(OH)2.
pyroxenes:Amineralgroupofchainsilicatespossessingasinglechainstructurewith
anidealcompositionofBCT2O6.ThepyroxeneM1site(designatedCintheformula)is
octahedrallycoordinated;commonlycontainsMgand/orFe2+(butcancontainelements
suchasAl,Fe3+,andMn);andisanalogoustotheamphiboleM2site.ThepyroxeneM2
site(designatedBintheformula)is6,7,or8coordinated;cancontainMg,Fe2+,Ca,
orNa;andisanalogoustotheamphiboleM4site.TheTsiteistetrahedrallycoordinated
andgenerallycontainsSibutcanalsoaccommodateAl.
pyroxenoids:Amineralgroupofchainsilicatespossessingasinglechainstructure.The
pyroxenoidsdifferfromthepyroxenesinthattheirsilicatechainspossessadifferent
topology.Generally,thechainsinpyroxenoidsarekinkedrelativetothelinearpyroxene
chains.Pyroxenesandpyroxenoidscanbetreatedasapolysomaticseriesbetweentrue
pyroxeneandwollastonite(apyroxenoidwithanidealcompositionofCaSiO3).The
topologiesoftheremainingpyroxenoidscanbeconstructedbyassemblingPandW
slabs.
PZC:Pointofzerocharge.Seepointofzerocharge.
PZNPC:Pointofzeronetprotoncharge.Seepointofzerocharge.
quartz:Amemberofthesilicagroup.Attemperaturesbelow~573C,allquartzis
lowquartzorquartz.
RBC:Redbloodcell.
reconstructivetransformation:Aphasetransformationcharacterizedbythebreakingof
chemicalbonds.Thesetransitionsoccurslowlyandaresimplyirreversible.Often,the
activationenergyassociatedwithbreakingbondsandreorganizingthestructureisso
largethatamineralmayexistoutsideofitsstabilityfield,i.e.,itmayexistmetastably.
Seedisplacivetransition.
refractiveindex:Seeindexofrefraction.
relativerisk:Theratiooftherateofdiseaseinonepopulationcomparedtoareference
population.
respirable:Saidofanyagentabletopassthroughtherespiratorytract.Generally,in
manparticlesmustbesmallerthanabout10minlengthandabout3mindiameterto

26

Glossary

berespirable.However,inotherspecies,thesefiguresaredifferent.Forexample,in
rats,theparticlesmustbelessthanabout5minlengthandabout1mindiameter.
retrogrademetamorphism:Metamorphismthatresultsfromdecreasingthepressureand
temperaturesuchthatthemineralswhichcrystallizedunderhigherpressuresand
temperaturesarenolongerstableandtherockrecrystallizestootherminerals.
richterite:Aspeciesofamphibolewithidealcomposition
Na2Ca(Fe,Mg)5Si8O22(OH)2.
riebeckite:AnamphibolewithidealcompositionNa2(Fe2+,Mg)3Fe3+Si8O22(OH)2.
Theasbestiformvarietyofthisamphiboleisoftenreferredtoascrocidolite.

Rietveldanalysis:Amethodforanalyzingpowderdiffractiondatatoextractvarious
parameters,includingabundancesofminerals,minerallatticeparameters,atomic
coordinates,andotherstructuralinformationaboutthemineralspresentinasample.
Typically,RietveldanalysisisappliedtoXrayorneutronpowderdiffractiondata.
rock:Generallyanaggregateofoneormoreminerals,e.g.,granite,limestone,
sandstone.
rotationalsymmetry:Thepropertypossessedbystructuresthatareidenticalwhen
rotatedthroughanangleaboutanaxis.Thedegreeoftherotationalsymmetrydescribes
thenumberofsuchoperationspossiblein360.Forexample,theletterNhas2fold
rotationalsymmetry,sincea180rotationreproducestheletterandtwo180rotations
arepossiblein360.
rutile:AmineralspeciesthatisapolymorphofTiO2.
SAED:Seeselectedareaelectrondiffraction.
SAM:ScanningAugerelectronmicroscopy.
SEM:Scanningelectronmicroscopyorscanningelectronmicroscope.SometimesSEM
isusedtorefertosecondaryelectronmicroscopy,oneofthetechniquesdonewitha
scanningelectronmicroscope.
selectedareaelectrondiffraction:Anelectrondiffractiontechniquethatutilizesan
apertureontheimageplaneoftheobjectivelenstoselectaspecificareaoftheimage
fromwhichtoformadiffractionpattern.Theminimumuniqueareathatcanbeselected
fordiffractionis~0.5m,because,evenifsmalleraperturesareused,thisrepresentsthe
approximateminimumareafromwhichdiffractedbeamswilloriginate.
sepiolite:Amineralspeciesnameforamodulatedlayersilicatewiththeideal
compositionMg4Si6O15(OH)26H2O,wheretheindicatesthatthewatermolecules
arenotintegraltothesepiolitestructure.Althoughmanynonfibroussepioliteshave
beendescribed,JonesandGalan(1988,ReviewsinMineralogy19,631)suggestthat
theseoccurrencesarebetterdescribedasotherclays(e.g.,illite)andthatallsepiolitesare

Glossary

27

fibrous.Othernamesthathavebeenusedtodescribesepioliteincludeparasepiolite,
gunnbjarnite,xylotile,falcondoite,Meerschaum,Myrsen,andEcumedeMer.See
palygorskite.
sericite:Apetrologicaltermgenerallyappliedtofinegrainedmuscoviteorparagonite.
serpentine:Amineralgroupof1:1layersilicateswithageneralformulaof
(Mg,Al,Fe,Mn,Ni,Zn)23(Si,Al,Fe)2O5(OH)4.Alsousedtodenotethesubroup
consistingoftheMg1:1layersilicateslizardite,chrysotile,andantigorite.
serpentinite:Agreenrockconsistingdominantlyofserpentineminerals.Serpentinites
generallyformbythealterationofpyroxeneandolivinebearingrocks.
sheetsilicate:Seelayersilicate.
silanolgroup:ThefunctionalgroupSiOH.
silica:Achemicaltermforsilicondioxide,SiO2.Alsoatermformaterialconsistingof
SiO2,e.g.,quartzandsilicaglass.
silicate:Afamilyofmineralswithstructurescontainingsiliconoxygenpolyhedraplus
othercations(e.g.,Mg,Ca,andNa).Typically,thesepolyhedraaretetrahedra,andthey
canbeisolatedorpolymerizedtoone,two,orthreeothertetrahedrabysharingoftheir
oxygenatoms.
silicosis:Anonmalignantdiseaseofthelungcausedbyinhalationofdustcontaining
silicaminerals.Notallsilicamineralsmaycausesilicosis.
smectite:Amineralgroupof2:1layersilicateswiththegeneralformula
(Ca,Na,Li)01(Mg,Fe,Al,Li,Ni,Cr,Zn)23(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2nH2O.Smectitespossess
interlayercationsthatcanbeeasilyexchangedwithcationsinasolution.
solidsolution:substitutional,interstitial,andomission...
spacegroup:Thegroupofsymmetryoperations(e.g.,rotation,reflection,translation)
thatcanbeperformedonacrystallinestructureandleavethearrangementofatomsinthe
structureunchanged.Thereare230possiblespacegroups.
specificgravity:Specificgravityisaunitlessmeasureofdensityandisequivalenttothe
ratiobetweenthedensityofasubstancerelativetothedensityofwaterat4C(i.e.,the
maximumdensityofwater).Specificgravityisoftendeterminedbycomparingthe
weightofamaterialinairwiththeweightofamaterialinwater;hence,itissometimes
definedastheratioofamaterialsweighttotheweightofanequivalentvolumeofwater.
squamous:Scalyorscalelike.Alayerofflattenedcellsliningorcoveringthesurfaceof
organssuchastheskinoresophagus.Theliningofthebronchusmaychangeitsstateof
differentiationfromepithelialtosquamouscellsinresponsetoirritantssuchascigarette.

28

Glossary

stackingfault:Atypeofplanardefectincrystallinematerialsinwhichtwoadjacent
planesarestackeddifferentlyrelativetoeachotherthantheotherplanesinthematerial
arestacked.
stishovite:AveryhighpressurepolymorphofSiO2,containing6coordinatedSi.
STM:Scanningtunnelingmicroscopyorscanningtunnelingmicroscope.
stoichiometry:Thenumericalrelationshipbetweenelementsinareactionorformula.
stuffedderivative:Agroupofmineralswithframeworksisostructuralwithoneofthe
silicapolymorphsbutwithAlandcationssubstitutedforSiandvacancies.Forexample,
eucryptite(LiAlSiO4)isastuffedderivativeofquartz(SiO2or SiSiO4);thetwo
mineralshaveframeworkswiththesamestructureandarerelatedbythesubstitution
+SiLi+Al.
substitution:Theexchangeadifferentatomorvacancyforanatomorvacancyina
crystalstructure(e.g.,theexchangeofAlforSiinthetetrahedralsitesofasilicate).
superoxide:AnactiveoxygenspecieswiththegeneralformulaofO\d\ba1().
superstructure:Astructurewithalongerrangeperiodicitythanthedominant
periodicity,orsubstructure.Forexample,thedominantperiodicityinthe2:1layer
silicatesis~10normaltothesheets;however,some2:1layersilicateshavean
additionalperiodicitythatrepeatseverytwo2:1layers,i.e.,theyhaveasuperstructure
normaltothe2:1layers.Whenthesuperstructurerepeatsatanintegralmultipleofthe
dominantperiodicity,thesuperstructureissaidtobecommensurate.Incommensurate
superstructuresdonotrepeatatanintegralfrequencyofthedominantperiodicity.
Diffractionmaximaarisingfromasuperstructurearegenerallyweakerthanthosearising
fromthesubstructure.
synergistic:Thecharacteristicoftwoormoresubstancesactingtogethertoproducean
effectgreaterthantheadditiveeffectsoftheindividualsubstances.
tabular:Saidofacrystalformthathasonedimensionmarkedlysmallerthantheother
two.Seeasbestiform,fibrous,prismatic,equant,acicular.
talc:Amineralspeciesthatisa2:1layersilicatewiththeidealcomposition
Mg3Si4O10(OH)2.
targetcell:Acellthatmaybeaffectedindisease.
tectosilicate:Seeframeworksilicate.
TEM:Transmissionelectronmicroscopyortransmissionelectronmicroscope.
tetrahedralsheet:Apolymerizedsheetoftetrahedra.Astructuralunitcommontothe
layersilicates.

Glossary

29

tetrahedron:Acoordinationpolyhedroncharacterizedbyfourapicesandfourtriangular
sides.(tetrahedra,pl.)
TGF:Transforminggrowthfactor.TBFisacytokine,anditpotentiatesorinhibits
(dependingonthecelltype)theresponseofmostcellstoothergrowthfactors.TBF
alsoregulatesthedifferentiationofsomecelltypes.
titania:Achemicaltermfortitaniumdioxide,TiO2.
TNF:Tumornecrosisfactororcachectin.A17kilodalton(kd)protein(acytokine)
producedbyavarietyofphagocyticandnonphagocyticcelltypesincluding:
macrophages,monocytes,polymorphonuclearleukocytes,lymphocytes,smoothmuscle
cells,andmastcells.TNFhastheabilitytolysetumorcellsinvitro.
torr:Ameasureofpressure(orvacuum),where1torr=1/760atmosphere1mmHg.
toxicology:Thestudyoftoxicsubstances(orpoisons).
traceelement:Anyelementpresentinminuteamounts,generally<~0.05wt%forthe
elementsoxide.Seemajorelement
translocation:Theprocessthattransportsaparticlefromitssiteofdeposition(e.g.,in
thelung)toanothersite,suchasthepleura.
tremolite:Aspeciesofamphibolewiththeidealcomposition
Ca2(Mg,Fe2+)5Si8O22(OH)2.TremoliteisthemagnesiumrichendmemberoftheMg
Fe2+seriestremoliteferroactinolite,withMg/(Mg+Fe2+)0.9.Seeactinolite,ferro
actinoliteandamphibole.
triclinic:Oneofthesixcrystalsystems.Triclinicmineralshaveunitcellsthathavea
onefoldaxisofsymmetry.
tridymite:AhightemperaturepolymorphofSiO2.
trigonalsymmetry:Threefoldrotationalsymmetry.
trioctahedralsheet:Anoctahedralsheetinwhichallunique(i.e.,3outof3)octahedral
sitesareoccupiedbyacation.
trioctahedralsubstitution:Thesubstitutionofcationsintotheotherwiseunoccupiedsites
inadioctahedralsheet.
tumor:Thepathologictermforamass,usuallyusedtodescribeaneoplasm.Newand
abnormalgrowth.Tumorsmaybebenign(i.e.,willnotmetastasizeorinvadeadjacent
tissue)ormalignant.
tumorigenic:Possessingtheabilitytoinduceatumor.

30

Glossary

twinning:Thepropertyofmineralstointergrowrationallywithoneormoreunitsofthe
samemineralandwherethetwounitsarerelatedinamathematicallydescribedmanner
(i.e.,byasymmetryoperator).
unitcell:Asubunitofastructurepossessingtranslationalperiodicity.Theentirecrystal
structurecanbedescribedbyrepeatingtheunitcellalongthetranslationdirections.
vacancy:Anunoccupiedcrystallographicsite.
vacuole:Amembraneboundcavitywithinacell.
vermiculite:Amineralgroupof2:1layersilicateswiththegeneralformula
(Mg,Fe,Al)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)24H2O.
viability:Capabilityofliving.
vug:Asmallcavityinarock,usuallylinedwithcrystals.
weathering:Themineralogicalandchemicaladjustmentofarockormineralinresponse
tointeractionswithatmosphericagents.Mostweatheringoccursatorneartheearths
surfaceandincludesprocessessuchasthehydrationofmineralsstableathigher
temperaturesandpressurestoformclaymineralsandothersoilconstituents.
winchite:Anamphibolewiththeidealcomposition
NaCa(Mg,Fe2+)5(Si,Al)8O22(OH)2.
XAS:Xrayabsorptionspectroscopy.
XPS:Xrayphotoelectronspectroscopy.
XRD:Xraydiffraction.
Xraydiffraction:Aseriesoftechniquesthatexploittheabilityofcrystallinesubstances
todiffractXrays.Xraydiffraction(XRD)techniquesincludemethodsforanalyzing
individualcrystalsorpowders.ThediffractedXrayscontaininformationaboutthetypes
andarrangementsofatomswitheachcrystalstructureandtheabundancesofeach
mineralspeciespresent.SeeRietveldAnalysis.
zeolite:Amineralgroup.
zetapotential:Ameasureofthepotentialenergydifferencebetweenabulksolutionand
theboundarybetweenthefreesolventandthesolventadheringtothefibersurface.Zeta
()potentialisproportionaltothetotalsurfacepotential.
ZPC:Zeropointofcharge.Equivalenttopointofzerocharge,orPZC.Seepointof
zerocharge.