Water, minerals and trace elements - Calcium - Function of calcium in the body

12 important questions on Water, minerals and trace elements - Calcium - Function of calcium in the body

What percentage of the calcium in our bodies is present in the bones/our skeleton?

99%

In what form (with another molecule) is calcium present in bone?

Hydroxyapatite: a complex in which calcium is bound with phosphate

What cell type produces bone tissue?

Osteoblast
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What happens to the bone when osteoclasts basically eat away during the breakdown of bone?

The constituents are released

Next to its role in the skeleton, what other role does calcium play in the body?

Calcium is also an important signalling molecule for cells

How can calcium trigger cells to perform certain functions, for example: how does calcium trigger movement of cells?

The entry of calcium into a cell via special channels

Because of the variety of cell types that calcium plays an important role for, a stable calcium concentration in the bodily fluids is essential. What two opposing hormones are responsible for keeping the blood calcium concentration at a constant value?

Parathyroid hormone;
Calcitonin

At what value of blood calcium level are the parathyroid hormones and calcitonins supposed to keep the blood calcium level at?

9-10 mg/dL

How does the release of parathyroid hormones cause the blood calcium concentration to get higher when it's low?

Parathyroid hormones stimulate the osteoclasts to break down bone, which releases calcium into the blood

Next to rigidity of bones, what other purpose does the calcium *in* bones serve?

Bones serve as a reservoir for calcium in the body so that calcium can get released into the blood when blood calcium levels are low

Through what 2 processes is the activation of vitamin D beneficial to the process in which blood calcium levels are raised?

  1. Activated vitamin D stimulates the absorption of calcium in the small intestine --> more calcium gets into the blood
  2. Activated vitamin D stimulates the retention of calcium in the kidney --> more calcium is kept in the blood

Next to stimulating the uptake of calcium from the blood, does parathyroid hormone activate or inactivate vitamin D?

Inactivate

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