Affiliations: A. Chełkowski Institute of Physics, Department
of Medical Physics, University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland | Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Medical University
of Silesia, Bytom, Poland | Institute of Stomatology, Katowice, Poland
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Professor Z. Drzazga, A.
Chełkowski Institute of Physics, Department of Medical Physics,
University of Silesia, ul. Uniwersytecka 4, 40-007 Katowice, Poland. E-mail:
[email protected]
Abstract: Concentration of abundant elements e.g. calcium as well as of
elements present in trace amount e.g. zinc in mandibles of 7, 14 an 28 day old
newborn rats were determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis. The measurements were carried out by using a measurement system
containing X-ray tube ECLIPSE-III and X-ray and gamma ray detector XR-100T-CdTe
(Amptek Inc.). Concentration of calcium and zinc depended on the region of interest
on the rat's mandible due to mineralization degree conditioned by its function.
Increasing age produced a remarkable increase in Ca content in contrast to Zn
content in the bone tissue obtained from 7, 14 and 28 day old newborn rats. The
calculated Zn/Ca concentration ratio was the biggest for 7 day old newborns and
successively decreased with age indicating the important role of zinc at the
beginning of bone ontogenesis.
