Home > Calcium in biology

1 Organs and tissues

Different tissues contain Ca in diffent concentrations. In vertebrates Ca (in a form of CaSO₄) is the most important (and specific) element of bones.

Some invertebrates use Ca for building their outer ( radiolaria) or inner skeleton.

There are also some plants which accumulate Ca in their tissues, thus making them more firm.

2 Cell biology

In cell biology Ca²⁺ ions are one of the widespread messengers, their entrance into cytoplasm (either from outside the cell through cell membrane or from some internal Ca storages) represent the most important sign for the whole cell machinery. Ca²⁺ entering the cell causes the specific action of this cell, whatever this action is: secretory cell s release vesicles with their secretion, muscle cells contract, synapsenerve cells to communicate with one another through axons and dendrites, converting electrical signals into chemical ones. For the technology festival, see Synapse Festival. Synapses are specialized junctions through which cells of the nervous system signs go into processes of synaptic plasticityThe term synaptic plasticity refers to the variability of the strength of a signal transmitted through a synapse. Synaptic plasticity is part of the Hebbian theory about the neurochemical foundations of memory and learning. Two known molecular mechanisms etc.

Calcium's function in muscle contraction was found as early as 1882Events February 2 The Knights of Columbus are formed in New Haven, Connecticut February 7 In Mississippi City the last heavyweight boxing championship bareknuckle fight takes place. March 2 Robert Maclean fails to assassinate Queen Victoria at Windsor Mar by Ringer and led the way for further investigations to reveal its role as a messenger about a century later. Because its action is interconnected with cAMP, they are called synarchic messengers. Calcium can bind to several different calcium-modulated proteins like troponin-C , which was the first one to be identified.

The same Ca²⁺ ions can, however, bring damage to cells if there are too many of them (for example in a case of overexcitation in neural circuit s). This may even cause cell apoptosisIn biology, Apoptosis (pronounced ap-a-tow'-sis is one of the main types of programmed cell death (PCD). As such, it is a process of deliberate suicide by an unwanted cell in a multicellular organism. In contrast to necrosis, which is a form of cell death.

3 Food sources

Calcium amount in foods, 100 gFor other meanings of gram see gram (disambiguation). The gram (also spelt gramme is a unit of measurement of mass, and is defined in the SI system of units as one thousandth of a kilogram. See 1 E -3 kg for comparisons with other masses. The symbol for g:

• vaccinesyringe containing the influenza vaccine. A vaccine (named after vaccinia, the infectious agent of cowpox, which, when inoculated, provides protection against smallpox) is used to prepare a human or animal's immune system to defend the body against a spec = 116 mg
• human milk = 33 mg
• milk powder = 909 mg
• parmesan ( cheese) = 1140 mg
• ricotta (skimmed milk cheese) = 90 mg
• egg, 1 = 54 mg
• molasses = 273 mg
• brown sugar = 85 mg
• white sugar = 0 mg
• honey = 5 mg
• flour = 41 mg
• wheat germ = 72 mg
• beef = 12 mg
• horse meat = 10 mg
• cod = 11 mg
• trout = 19 mg
• hazels = 250 mg
• almonds = 234 mg
• nuts = 99 mg
• lentils = 79 mg

See also: Ca-binding protein s