Calcium regulation has significant effects on the human body's capacity to maintain homeostasis. Around 99% of the body's calcium is found within the skeleton in the form of calcium salts. The remaining 1% is found in blood and controlled within a very narrow range
by an elaborate system of controls to provide for fundamental processes (Marieb & Hoehn 2010). Calcium is the most abundant cation found in human bodies, vital to normal function of a host of processes including: nerve excitability, hormone secretion, blood clotting, taste transduction, muscle function and cellular adhesion (Hutchins 2014). This essay will outline some of the more important roles of calcium metabolism. The essay will begin by discussing how calcium provides for bone growth and calcium reserves, it will then discuss the importance of calcium in muscle contraction and a brief overview of the calcium signalling toolkit. The final section will then turn to consider chemical synapses. This essay will argue that calcium regulation is a key element integral for human life.
Bones
Calcium (Ca+, Ca2+) is a mineral which is integral for the formation, growth and maintenance of healthy bones. Bone formation or osteogenesis is an essential process which starts before week eight in a human embryo and continues until the age of approx 25 (Hill 2014). Bones or the skeleton not only protect organs and support the body, they also account for 99% of the bodies total calcium and function as a reserve which can be released into the body when required. Non-crystalline forms of bone salts combined with ca2+Pi to instinctively form tiny crystals of hydroxyapatite which then further catalyses the crystallisation of calcium salts in that area. Calcium salts are set down...
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Marieb, E & Hoehn, K. (2010). Human Anatomy and Physiology, (8th edn). San Francisco:
Pearson
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Shane, E and Dinaz, I (2006). Hypercalcaemia: Pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis and management, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, viewed 15 Mach 2014, http://www.homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~ucgatma/Anat3048/PAPERS%20etc/ASBMR%20Primer%20Ed%206/Ch%2026-41%20-%20Disorders%20of%20Serum%20Minerals.pdf
Tamarkin, D (2011). Synapses, Springfield Technical Community College, Massachusetts, viewed 18 March 2014, http://faculty.stcc.edu/AandP/AP/AP1pages/nervssys/unit11/synapses.htm
In the beginning phases of muscle contraction, a “cocked” motor neuron in the spinal cord is activated to form a neuromuscular junction with each muscle fiber when it begins branching out to each cell. An action potential is passed down the nerve, releasing calcium, which simultaneously stimulates the release of acetylcholine onto the sarcolemma. As long as calcium and ATP are present, the contraction will continue. Acetylcholine then initiates the resting potential’s change under the motor end plate, stimulates the action potential, and passes along both directions on the surface of the muscle fiber. Sodium ions rush into the cell through the open channels to depolarize the sarcolemma. The depolarization spreads. The potassium channels open while the sodium channels close off, which repolarizes the entire cell. The action potential is dispersed throughout the cell through the transverse tubule, causing the sarcoplasmic reticulum to release
However some of the basic bone functions include storing of crucial nutrients, minerals and lipids, producing red blood cells for the body, protect the organs such as heart, ribs and the brain, aide in movement and also to act as a buffer for pH. With the differences in all of the bones there are four things that remain the same in each bone, their cells. Bones are made up of four different cells; osteoblasts, osteoclasts, osteocytes and bone lining cells. Osteoblasts produce and secrete matrix proteins and then transport the minerals into the matrix. Osteoclasts are responsible for the breaking down of tissue. The osteoblasts and osteoclasts are both responsible for remodeling and rebuilding of bones as we grow and age. The production of osteoclasts for resorption is initiated by the hormone, the parathyroid hormone. Osteocytes are the mature versions of osteoblasts because they are trapped in the bone matrix they produced. The osteocytes that are trapped continue making bone to help with strength and the health of the bone matrix. The bone lining cells are found in the inactive bone surfaces which are typically found in
The ATP is used for many cell functions including transport work moving substances across cell membranes. It is also used for mechanical work, supplying the energy needed for muscle contraction. It supplies energy not only to heart muscle (for blood circulation) and skeletal muscle (such as for gross body movement), but also to the chromosomes and flagella to enable them to carry out their many functions. A major role of ATP is in chemical work, supplying the needed energy to synthesize the multi-thousands of types of macromolecules that the cell needs to exist. ATP is also used as an on-off switch both to control chemical reactions and to send messages.
A 54 year old female was presented with complaints of lethargy, excessive thirst and diminished appetite. Given the fact that these symptoms are very broad and could be the underlying cause of various diseases, the physician decided to order a urinalysis by cystoscope; a comprehensive diagnostic chemistry panel; and a CBC with differential, to acquire a better understanding on his patient health status. The following abnormal results caught the physician’s attention:
Magnesium is an important element necessary healthy bones and teeth. The use of all muscles, and nerves convert it into energy for daily living. It is also instrumental in maintaining adequate levels of calcium in the blood. Having a therapeutic magnesium level helps prevent cardiovascular disease and reduces the risk of bone loss. The body of the adult human contains about 2000 mEq of Mg. Half of this amount stays within the skeleton and the other half in soft tissues (Wacker and Parisi 1968). The normal concentration in the blood is somewhere in the ranges of 1.7-2.3 mg/dL (Magnesium, 2013)
In our body’s we have thousands upon thousands of cells that work together to maintain the whole structure. Although cells accomplish different roles, they all are comparable in their metabolic conditions. Preserving a continuous inner environment with what the cells require to survive like sugar, minerals, oxygen and waste removal is essential for the cells and host well-being. The diverse process that the body controls its inner environment are referred to as homeostasis. Homeostasis refers to maintaining a stable environment in reaction to environmental changes. The body’s inner environment requires constant observation to maintain a stable inner environment this way if conditions occur they can be adjusted. Homeostatic regulation is the adjustment of systems in the body. “Homeostatic regulation involves three parts or mechanisms: 1) the receptor, 2) the control center and 3) the effector.” (Wikibooks, para. 2)
Different cellular signaling pathways respond to calcium levels. The inflow of calcium resulting from glutamate receptor stimulation leads to their activation.
Bones of the skeletal system serve as storage compartments for vital minerals like phosphorus and calcium. Excessive calcium in the blood is stored in bones. Calcium is released from the bones into the blood when there are deficient amounts of it in the blood.
Creatine serves as an energy reserve in muscle cells. Muscular contraction is powered by the breakdown of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to ADP (adenosinediphosphate). When all the ATP is broken down, creatine phosphate in the muscle donates a phosphate group to ADP, and further energy reactions can occur. Creatine monohydrate is a precursor to creatine phosphate. By supplementing with CM, CP levels in muscle apparently are maximized, and more muscular work can occur, since there are greater energy reserves to use.
Now, when considering whether one wants to prevent or treat Osteoporosis, it does not mean cutting yourself off from foods with small portions or extreme dieting. It is a common misconception that when a person wants to be healthy they must eat in smaller portions, and while this does have some truth, one must consider when it comes to eating healthy, it means to eat healthy by adding nutritious portions of fruits, vegetables, protein, carbs, and of course, calcium intake for the bones in one’s diet. Also, one must not deprive themselves of having a “cheat day” once a week with chips and candy. But it is a good start to begin adding calcium to fortified foods and supplements, such as milk. People should at least aim for 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams a day of calcium.
The second part of this lab was a computer simulation program to illustrate a frog’s electrocardiogram using various drugs in an isolated setting. The computer program entitled “Effects of Drugs on the Frog Heart” allowed experimental conditions to be set for specific drugs. The different drugs used were calcium, digitalis, pilocarpine, atropine, potassium, epinephrine, caffeine, and nicotine. Each of these drugs caused a different electrocardiogram and beats per minute reading. The calcium-magnesium ration affects “the permeability of the cell membrane”(Fox). When calcium is placed directly on the heart it results in three physiological functions. The force of the heart increases while the cardiac rate decreases. It also causes the appearance of “ectopic pacemakers in the ventricles, producing abnormal rhythms” (Fox). Digitalis’ affect on the heart is very similar to that of calcium. It inhibits the sodium-potassium pump activated by ATP that promotes the uptake of extracellular calcium by the heart. This in return strengthens myocardial contraction (Springhouse). Pilocarpine on the other hand
Osteoporosis is a serious disease that leads to a faster than normal loss of the bone density, which puts the bone at a higher risk for fractures. In order to understand the causes of Osteoporosis, it is important to understand how bones are formed. Bone is a living tissue that is made mainly of collagen, calcium phosphate, and calcium carbonate. The mixture of collagen and calcium gives the bone strength and flexibility. The body deposits new bones and removes old ones; moreover, there are two types of bone cells that control the reproduction of bones. Cells called osteoclasts breakdown bone tissues thus, damaging the bone. Once the damaged bone is removed, cells called osteoblasts, use minerals including calcium and phosphate from the blood stream to make new healthy bone tissues. In order for osteoblasts and osteoclasts to work properly, hormones such us thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, and growth hormones are
Vitamin D is key for solid bones on the grounds that it helps the body use calcium from the eating methodology. Generally, vitamin D lack has been connected with rickets, a malady in which the bone tissue doesn't appropriately mineralize, prompting delicate bones and skeletal distortions. Yet progressively, research is uncovering the essentialness of vitamin D in ensuring against a group of wellbeing issues. (Emery, Gene 2012)
middle of paper ... ... Dairy products are a rich source of calcium and Vitamin D. Maintaining adequate calcium stores may prevent me from contracting osteoporosis as I age.
Calcium is a mineral found in many foods that the human body cannot produce itself (National Osteoporosis Foundation). According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation it is used in the regulation of heartbeat, stimulation of hormone secretions, conduction of nerve impulses, stimulation of blood clotting, and maintenance of a healthy skeleton. They also state that we lose calcium every day through shed skin, nails, hair, sweat, and other bodily functions. Bones are also constantly being “remodeled” by removal of older pieces of bone and replacement with new bone. These losses make a daily source of calcium invaluable. Calcium has traditionally been thought of in conjunction to milk, but this connection is slowly being broken.