Characteristics of gallstones with crystal structure

The article presents the study results of the composition and structure of gallstones with crystal structure. Cholesterol has been confirmed to be the main constituent of crystal gallstones. The studied samples have been identified for inclusions of minerals represented by the following classes as carbonates, oxides, chlorides, sulfates, silicates, and phosphates. The work first mentions the fact that high-carbon cholesterol formations, formed in the human body, by the morphological characteristics of crystals and physicochemical characteristics (behavior when heated, elemental composition) can be classified as analogues of natural crystal resins. The proposed formation mechanisms of gallstones with different structural organizations (spherulite, dendritic, oolitic, columnar aggregates) are discussed.