A
mineral is a naturally occurring substance, representable by a
chemical formula, that is usually solid and
inorganic, and has a
crystal structure. It is different from a
rock, which can be an aggregate of minerals or non-minerals and does not have a specific
chemical composition. The exact definition of a mineral is under debate, especially with respect to the requirement a valid species be abiogenic, and to a lesser extent with regard to it having an ordered atomic structure. The study of minerals is called
mineralogy.