Calcium

An overview

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Contents
Articles
Overview
Calcium 1 1 13 13 17 17 22 26

Isotopes
Isotopes of calcium

Miscellany
Calcium in biology Calcium metabolism Calcium deficiency

References
Article Sources and Contributors Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 28 29

Article Licenses
License 30

Overview
Calcium
Calcium Ca 20

potassium calcium scandiumMg

Ca
Sr

Calcium in the periodic table

Appearance dull gray, silver

Spectral lines of calcium General properties Name, symbol, number Pronunciation Element category Group, period, block Standard atomic weight Electron configuration calcium, Ca, 20 /klsim/ KAL-see-m alkaline earth metal 2 (alkaline earth metals), 4, s 40.078(4) [Ar] 4s2 2, 8, 8, 2 History Discovery Humphry Davy (1808)

Calcium

2
First isolation Humphry Davy (1808) Physical properties Phase Density (near r.t.) Liquid density at m.p. Meltingpoint Boilingpoint Heatoffusion Heat of vaporization Molar heat capacity solid 1.55 gcm3 1.378 gcm3 1115K, 842C, 1548F 1757K, 1484C, 2703F 8.54 kJmol1 154.7 kJmol1 25.929 Jmol1K1 Vapor pressure

P (Pa)

10

100

1k

10 k 100 k

at T (K) 864 956 1071 1227 1443 1755

Atomic properties Oxidation states +2, +1 (strongly basic oxide) 1.00 (Pauling scale) 1st: 589.8 kJmol1 2nd: 1145.4 kJmol1 3rd: 4912.4 kJmol1 Atomic radius Covalent radius Van der Waals radius 197 pm 17610 pm 231 pm Miscellanea Crystal structure face-centered cubic

Electronegativity Ionization energies (more)

Magnetic ordering Electrical resistivity Thermal conductivity Thermal expansion Speed of sound (thin rod) Young's modulus Shear modulus Bulk modulus Poisson ratio

diamagnetic (20C) 33.6 nm 201Wm1K1 (25 C) 22.3 mm1K1 (20 C) 3810 ms1 20 GPa 7.4 GPa 17 GPa 0.31

Calcium

3
Mohs hardness Brinell hardness CAS registry number 1.75 167 MPa 7440-70-2 Most stable isotopes Main article: Isotopes of calcium

iso
40

NA 96.941% trace 0.647% 0.135% 2.086% syn 0.004% syn

half-life >5.91021 y 1.03105 y

42

DM (++)

DE (MeV) 0.194 -

DP
40

Ca Ca Ca Ca Ca Ca Ca Ca

Ar K

41

41

42

Ca is stable with 22 neutrons Ca is stable with 23 neutrons Ca is stable with 24 neutrons () 0.258 0.988 0.694, 1.99 1.297 4.274 0.0058
45

43

43

44

44

45

162.7 d >2.81015 y 4.536 d

Sc Ti

46

46

47

47

Sc

48

48

Ca

0.187%

4.31019 y

()

Ti

48

Sc

Decay modes in parentheses are predicted, but have not yet been observed

v t [1]

Calcium is the chemical element with symbolCa and atomic number20. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust. Calcium is also the fifth-most-abundant dissolved ion in seawater by both molarity and mass, after sodium, chloride, magnesium, and sulfate. Calcium is essential for living organisms, in particular in cell physiology, where movement of the calcium ion Ca2+ into and out of the cytoplasm functions as a signal for many cellular processes. As a major material used in mineralization of bone, teeth and shells, calcium is the most abundant metal by mass in many animals.

Calcium

Notable characteristics
In chemical terms, calcium is reactive and soft for a metal (though harder than lead, it can be cut with a knife with difficulty). It is a silvery metallic element that must be extracted by electrolysis from a fused salt like calcium chloride. Once produced, it rapidly forms a gray-white oxide and nitride coating when exposed to air. In bulk form (typically as chips or "turnings"), the metal is somewhat difficult to ignite, more so even than magnesium chips; but, when lit, the metal burns in air with a brilliant high-intensity orange-red light. Calcium metal reacts with water, generating hydrogen gas at a rate rapid enough to be noticeable, but not fast enough at room temperature to generate much heat, making it useful for generating hydrogen.[2] In powdered form, however, the reaction with water is extremely rapid, as the increased surface area of the powder accelerates the reaction with the water. Part of the slowness of the calciumwater reaction results from the metal being partly protected by insoluble white calcium hydroxide. In water solutions of acids, where this salt is soluble, calcium reacts vigorously. Calcium, with a density of 1.55 g/cm3, is the lightest of the alkaline earth metals; magnesium (specific gravity 1.74) and beryllium (1.84) are more dense, although lighter in atomic mass. From strontium onward, the alkali earth metals become more dense with increasing atomic mass. It has two allotropes. Calcium has a higher electrical resistivity than copper or aluminium, yet weight-for-weight, due to its much lower density, it is a rather better conductor than either. However, its use in terrestrial applications is usually limited by its high reactivity with air.

Flame test. Brick-red color originates from calcium. 2+

Calcium salts are colorless from any contribution of the calcium, and ionic solutions of calcium (Ca ) are colorless as well. As with magnesium salts and other alkaline earth metal salts, calcium salts are often quite soluble in water. Notable exceptions include the hydroxide, the sulfate (unusual for sulfate salts), the carbonate and the phosphates. With the exception of the sulfate, even the insoluble ones listed are in general more soluble than its transition metal counterparts. When in solution, the calcium ion to the human taste varies remarkably, being reported as mildly salty, sour, "mineral like" or even "soothing." It is apparent that many animals can taste, or develop a taste, for calcium, and use this sense to detect the mineral in salt licks or other sources. In human nutrition, soluble calcium salts may be added to tart juices without much effect to the average palate. Calcium is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the human body, where it is a common cellular ionic messenger with many functions, and serves also as a structural element in bone. It is the relatively high-atomic-number calcium in the skeleton that causes bone to be radio-opaque. Of the human body's solid components after drying and burning of organics (as for example, after cremation), about a third of the total "mineral" mass remaining, is the approximately one kilogram of calcium that composes the average skeleton (the remainder being mostly phosphorus and oxygen).

Calcium

H and K lines
Visible spectra of many stars, including the Sun, exhibit strong absorption lines of singly ionized calcium. Prominent among these are the H-line at 3968.5 and the K line at 3933.7 of singly ionized calcium, or CaII. For the Sun and stars with low temperatures, the prominence of the H and K lines can be an indication of strong magnetic activity in the chromosphere. Measurement of periodic variations of these active regions can also be used to deduce the rotation periods of these stars.

Compounds
Calcium, combined with phosphate to form hydroxylapatite, is the mineral portion of human and animal bones and teeth. The mineral portion of some corals can also be transformed into hydroxylapatite. Calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) is used in many chemical refinery processes and is made by heating limestone at high temperature (above 825C) and then carefully adding water to it. When lime is mixed with sand, it hardens into a mortar and is turned into plaster by carbon dioxide uptake. Mixed with other compounds, lime forms an important part of Portland cement. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is one of the common compounds of calcium. It is heated to form quicklime (CaO), which is then added to water (H2O). This forms another material known as slaked lime (Ca(OH)2), which is an inexpensive base material used throughout the chemical industry. Chalk, marble, and limestone are all forms of calcium carbonate. When water percolates through limestone or other soluble carbonate rocks, it partially dissolves the rock and causes cave formation and characteristic stalactites and stalagmites and also forms hard water. Other important calcium compounds are calcium nitrate, calcium sulfide, calcium chloride, calcium carbide, calcium cyanamide and calcium hypochlorite. A few calcium compounds where calcium is in the oxidation state +1 have also been investigated recently.

Isotopes
Calcium has five stable isotopes (40Ca, 42Ca, 43Ca, 44Ca and 46Ca), plus one more isotope (48Ca) that has such a long half-live that for all practical purposes it can also be considered stable. The 20% range in relative mass among naturally occurring calcium isotopes is greater than for any other element except hydrogen and helium. Calcium also has a cosmogenic isotope, radioactive 41Ca, which has a half-life of 103,000 years. Unlike cosmogenic isotopes that are produced in the atmosphere, 41Ca is produced by neutron activation of 40Ca. Most of its production is in the upper metre or so of the soil column, where the cosmogenic neutron flux is still sufficiently strong. 41Ca has received much attention in stellar studies because it decays to 41K, a critical indicator of solar-system anomalies. Ninety-seven percent of naturally occurring calcium is in the form of 40Ca. 40Ca is one of the daughter products of 40 K decay, along with 40Ar. While K-Ar dating has been used extensively in the geological sciences, the prevalence of 40Ca in nature has impeded its use in dating. Techniques using mass spectrometry and a double spike isotope dilution have been used for K-Ca age dating. The most abundant isotope, 40Ca, has a nucleus of 20 protons and 20 neutrons. This is the heaviest stable isotope of any element that has equal numbers of protons and neutrons. In supernova explosions, calcium is formed from the reaction of carbon with various numbers of alpha particles (helium nuclei), until the most common calcium isotope (containing 10 helium nuclei) has been synthesized.[citation needed]

Calcium

Isotope fractionation
As with the isotopes of other elements, a variety of processes fractionate, or alter the relative abundance of, calcium isotopes. The best studied of these processes is the mass-dependent fractionation[3] of calcium isotopes that accompanies the precipitation of calcium minerals, such as calcite, aragonite and apatite, from solution. Isotopically light calcium is preferentially incorporated into minerals, leaving the solution from which the mineral precipitated enriched in isotopically heavy calcium. At room temperature the magnitude of this fractionation is roughly 0.25 (0.025%) per atomic mass unit (AMU). Mass-dependent differences in calcium isotope composition conventionally are expressed the ratio of two isotopes (usually 44Ca/40Ca) in a sample compared to the same ratio in a standard reference material. 44Ca/40Ca varies by about 1% among common earth materials. Calcium isotope fractionation during mineral formation has led to several applications of calcium isotopes. In particular, the 1997 observation by Skulan and DePaolo that calcium minerals are isotopically lighter than the solutions from which the minerals precipitate is the basis of analogous applications in medicine and in paleooceanography. In animals with skeletons mineralized with calcium the calcium isotopic composition of soft tissues reflects the relative rate of formation and dissolution of skeletal mineral. In humans changes in the calcium isotopic composition of urine have been shown to be related to changes in bone mineral balance. When the rate of bone formation exceeds the rate of bone resorption, soft tissue 44Ca/40Ca rises. Soft tissue 44Ca/40Ca falls when bone resorption exceeds bone formation. Because of this relationship, calcium isotopic measurements of urine or blood may be useful in the early detection of metabolic bone diseases like osteoporosis. A similar system exists in the ocean, where seawater 44Ca/40Ca tends to rise when the rate of removal of Ca2+ from seawater by mineral precipitation exceeds the input of new calcium into the ocean, and fall when calcium input exceeds mineral precipitation. It follows that rising 44Ca/40Ca corresponds to falling seawater Ca2+ concentration, and falling 44Ca/40Ca corresponds to rising seawater Ca2+ concentration. In 1997 Skulan and DePaolo presented the first evidence of change in seawater 44Ca/40Ca over geologic time, along with a theoretical explanation of these changes. More recent papers have confirmed this observation, demonstrating that seawater Ca2+ concentration is not constant, and that the ocean probably never is in steady state with respect to its calcium input and output. This has important climatological implications, as the marine calcium cycle is closely tied to the carbon cycle (see below).

Geochemical cycling
Calcium provides an important link between tectonics, climate and the carbon cycle. In the simplest terms, uplift of mountains exposes Ca-bearing rocks to chemical weathering and releases Ca2+ into surface water. This Ca2+ eventually is transported to the ocean where it reacts with dissolved CO2 to form limestone. Some of this limestone settles to the sea floor where it is incorporated into new rocks. Dissolved CO2, along with carbonate and bicarbonate ions, are referred to as dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). The actual reaction is more complicated and involves the bicarbonate ion (HCO3) that forms when CO2 reacts with water at seawater pH: Ca2+ + 2HCO 3 CaCO 3 (limestone) + CO 2+ H 2O Note that at ocean pH most of the CO2 produced in this reaction is Travertine terraces Pamukkale, Turkey immediately converted back into HCO 3. The reaction results in a net transport of one molecule of CO from the ocean/atmosphere into the lithosphere. 2

Calcium The result is that each Ca2+ ion released by chemical weathering ultimately removes one CO2 molecule from the surficial system (atmosphere, ocean, soils and living organisms), storing it in carbonate rocks where it is likely to stay for hundreds of millions of years. The weathering of calcium from rocks thus scrubs CO2 from the ocean and atmosphere, exerting a strong long-term effect on climate. Analogous cycles involving magnesium, and to a much smaller extent strontium and barium, have the same effect. As the weathering of limestone (CaCO3) liberates equimolar amounts of Ca2+ and CO2, it has no net effect on the CO2 content of the atmosphere and ocean. The weathering of silicate rocks like granite, on the other hand, is a net CO2 sink because it produces abundant Ca2+ but very little CO2.

History
Lime as building material was used since prehistoric times going as far back as 7000 to 14000BC. The first dated lime kiln dates back to 2500BC and was found in Khafajah mesopotamia. Calcium (from Latin calx, genitive calcis, meaning "lime") was known as early as the first century when the Ancient Romans prepared lime as calcium oxide. Literature dating back to 975 AD notes that plaster of paris (calcium sulfate), is useful for setting broken bones. It was not isolated until 1808 in England when Sir Humphry Davy electrolyzed a mixture of lime and mercuric oxide. Davy was trying to isolate calcium; when he heard that Swedish chemist Jns Jakob Berzelius and Pontin prepared calcium amalgam by electrolyzing lime in mercury, he tried it himself. He worked with electrolysis throughout his life and also discovered/isolated sodium, potassium, magnesium, boron and barium. Calcium metal was not available in large scale until the beginning of the 20th century.

Occurrence
Calcium is not naturally found in its elemental state. Calcium occurs most commonly in sedimentary rocks in the minerals calcite, dolomite and gypsum. It also occurs in igneous and metamorphic rocks chiefly in the silicate minerals: plagioclases, amphiboles, pyroxenes and garnets.

Applications
Calcium is used as a reducing agent in the extraction of other metals, such as uranium, zirconium, and thorium. as a deoxidizer, desulfurizer, or decarbonizer for various ferrous and nonferrous alloys. as an alloying agent used in the production of aluminium, beryllium, copper, lead, and magnesium alloys. in the making of cements and mortars to be used in construction. in the making of cheese, where calcium ions influence the activity of rennin in bringing about the coagulation of milk.

Calcium compounds
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is used in manufacturing cement and mortar, lime, limestone (usually used in the steel industry) and aids in production in the glass industry. It also has chemical and optical uses as mineral specimens in toothpastes, for example. Calcium hydroxide solution (Ca(OH)2) (also known as limewater) is used to detect the presence of carbon dioxide by being bubbled through a solution. It turns cloudy where CO2 is present. Calcium arsenate (Ca3(AsO4)2) is used in insecticides. Calcium carbide (CaC2) is used to make acetylene gas (for use in acetylene torches for welding) and in the manufacturing of plastics. Calcium chloride (CaCl2) is used in ice removal and dust control on dirt roads, in conditioner for concrete, as an additive in canned tomatoes, and to provide body for automobile tires.

Calcium Calcium cyclamate (Ca(C6H11NHSO3)2) is used as a sweetening agent in several countries. In the United States it is no longer permitted for use because of suspected cancer-causing properties. Calcium gluconate (Ca(C6H11O7)2) is used as a food additive and in vitamin pills. Calcium hypochlorite (Ca(OCl)2) is used as a swimming pool disinfectant, as a bleaching agent, as an ingredient in deodorant, and in algaecide and fungicide. Calcium permanganate (Ca(MnO4)2) is used in liquid rocket propellant, textile production, as a water sterilizing agent and in dental procedures. Calcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2) is used as a supplement for animal feed, fertilizer, in commercial production for dough and yeast products, in the manufacture of glass, and in dental products. Calcium phosphide (Ca3P2) is used in fireworks, rodenticide, torpedoes and flares. Calcium stearate (Ca(C18H35O2)2) is used in the manufacture of wax crayons, cements, certain kinds of plastics and cosmetics, as a food additive, in the production of water resistant materials and in the production of paints. Calcium sulfate (CaSO42H2O) is used as common blackboard chalk, as well as, in its hemihydrate form better known as Plaster of Paris. Calcium tungstate (CaWO4) is used in luminous paints, fluorescent lights and in X-ray studies. Hydroxylapatite (Ca5(PO4)3(OH), but is usually written Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) makes up seventy percent of bone. Also carbonated-calcium deficient hydroxylapatite is the main mineral of which dental enamel and dentin are comprised.

Nutrition
Recommended adequate intake by the IOM for calcium:
Age 06 months 712 months 13 years 48 years 918 years 1950 years 5170 years (male) Calcium (mg/day) 200 260 700 1000 1300 1000 1000

5170 years (female) 1200 71+ years 1200

Calcium is an important component of a healthy diet and a mineral necessary for life. The National Osteoporosis Foundation says, "Calcium plays an important role in building stronger, denser bones early in life and keeping bones strong and healthy later in life." Approximately 99 percent of the body's calcium is stored in the bones and teeth. The rest of the calcium in the body has other important uses, such as some exocytosis, especially neurotransmitter release, and muscle contraction. In the electrical conduction system of the heart, calcium replaces sodium as the mineral that depolarizes the cell, proliferating the action potential. In cardiac muscle, sodium influx commences an action potential, but during potassium efflux, the cardiac myocyte experiences calcium influx, prolonging the action potential and creating a plateau phase of dynamic equilibrium. Long-term calcium deficiency can lead to rickets and poor blood clotting and in case of a menopausal woman, it can lead to osteoporosis, in which the bone deteriorates and there is an increased risk of fractures. While a lifelong deficit can affect bone and tooth formation, over-retention can cause hypercalcemia (elevated levels of calcium in the blood), impaired kidney function and decreased absorption of other minerals. Several sources suggest a correlation between high calcium intake (2000mg per day, or

Calcium twice the U.S. recommended daily allowance, equivalent to six or more glasses of milk per day) and prostate cancer. High calcium intakes or high calcium absorption were previously thought to contribute to the development of kidney stones. However, a high calcium intake has been associated with a lower risk for kidney stones in more recent research. Vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium. Dairy products, such as milk and cheese, are a well-known source of calcium. Some individuals are allergic to dairy products and even more people, in particular those of non Indo-European descent, are lactose-intolerant, leaving them unable to consume non-fermented dairy products in quantities larger than about half a liter per serving. Others, such as vegans, avoid dairy products for ethical and health reasons. Many good vegetable sources of calcium exist, including seaweeds such as kelp, wakame and hijiki; nuts and seeds like almonds, hazelnuts, sesame, and pistachio; blackstrap molasses; beans (especially soy beans); figs; quinoa; okra; rutabaga; broccoli; dandelion leaves; and kale. In addition, for some drinks (like soy milk or orange juice[citation needed] ) it is typical to be fortified with calcium. Numerous vegetables, notably spinach, chard and rhubarb have a high calcium content, but they may also contain varying amounts of oxalic acid that binds calcium and reduces its absorption. The same problem may to a degree affect the absorption of calcium from amaranth, collard greens, and chicory greens. This process may also be related to the generation of calcium oxalate. An overlooked source of calcium is eggshell, which can be ground into a powder and mixed into food or a glass of water. The calcium content of most foods can be found in the USDA National Nutrient Database.

Dietary supplements
Calcium supplements are used to prevent and to treat calcium deficiencies. Office of Dietary Supplements (National Institutes of Health) recommends that no more than 600mg of supplement should be taken at a time because the percent of calcium absorbed decreases as the amount of calcium in the supplement increases. It is therefore recommended to spread doses throughout the day.[4] Recommended daily calcium intake for adults ranges from 1000 to 1300mg. Calcium supplements may have side effects such as bloating and constipation in some people. It is suggested that taking the supplements with food may aid in nullifying these side effects.

500 milligram calcium supplements made from calcium carbonate

Vitamin D is added to some calcium supplements. Proper vitamin D status is important because vitamin D is converted to a hormone in the body, which then induces the synthesis of intestinal proteins responsible for calcium absorption. The absorption of calcium from most food and commonly used dietary supplements is very similar. This is contrary to what many calcium supplement manufacturers claim in their promotional materials. Milk is an excellent source of dietary calcium for those whose bodies tolerate it because it has a high concentration of calcium and the calcium in milk is excellently absorbed. Soymilk and other vegetable milks are usually sold with calcium added so that their calcium concentration is as high as in milk. Also different kind of juices boosted with calcium are widely available. Calcium carbonate is the most common and least expensive calcium supplement. It should be taken with food, and depends on low pH levels (acidic) for proper absorption in the intestine. Some studies suggests that the absorption of calcium from calcium carbonate is similar to the absorption of calcium from milk. While most people digest calcium carbonate very well, some might develop gastrointestinal discomfort or gas. Taking

Calcium magnesium with it can help to avoid constipation. Calcium carbonate is 40% elemental calcium. 1000mg will provide 400mg of calcium. However, supplement labels will usually indicate how much calcium is present in each serving, not how much calcium carbonate is present. Antacids frequently contain calcium carbonate, and are a commonly used, inexpensive calcium supplement. Coral calcium is a salt of calcium derived from fossilized coral reefs. Coral calcium is composed of calcium carbonate and trace minerals. Calcium citrate can be taken without food and is the supplement of choice for individuals with achlorhydria or who are taking histamine-2 blockers or proton-pump inhibitors. Calcium citrate is about 21% elemental calcium. 1000mg will provide 210mg of calcium. It is more expensive than calcium carbonate and more of it must be taken to get the same amount of calcium. Calcium phosphate costs more than calcium carbonate, but less than calcium citrate. Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite (MH) is one of several forms of calcium phosphate used as a dietary supplement. Hydroxyapatite is about 40% calcium. Calcium lactate has similar absorption as calcium carbonate, but is more expensive. Calcium lactate and calcium gluconate are less concentrated forms of calcium and are not practical oral supplements.

10

Calcium chelates are synthetic calcium compounds in which calcium is bound to an organic molecule, such as malate, aspartate, or fumarate. These forms of calcium may be better absorbed on an empty stomach. However, in general they are absorbed similarly to calcium carbonate and other common calcium supplements when taken with food. The "chelate" mimics the action that natural food performs by keeping the calcium soluble in the intestine. Thus, on an empty stomach, in some individuals, chelates might, in theory, be absorbed better.

Cardiovascular Impact
A study investigating the effects of personal calcium supplement use on cardiovascular risk in the Womens Health Initiative Calcium/Vitamin D Supplementation Study (WHI CaD Study) found a modestly increased risk of cardiovascular events, particularly myocardial infarction in postmenopausal women. A broad recommendation of calcium/vitamin D supplements is therefore not warranted.[5] In contrast, the authors of a 2013 literature review concluded that the benefits of calcium supplementation, such as on bone health, appear to outweigh any risk calcium supplementation may theoretically pose to the cardiovascular health.

Osteoporosis
Such studies often do not test calcium alone, but rather combinations of calcium and vitamin D. Randomized controlled trials found both positive and negative effects. The different results may be explained by doses of calcium and underlying rates of calcium supplementation in the control groups.

Cancer
A meta-analysis by the international Cochrane Collaboration of two randomized controlled trials found that calcium "might contribute to a moderate degree to the prevention of adenomatous colonic polyps". More recent studies were conflicting, and one that was positive for effect (Lappe, et al.) did control for a possible anti-carcinogenic effect of vitamin D, which was found to be an independent positive influence from calcium-alone on cancer risk (see second study below). A randomized controlled trial found that 1000mg of elemental calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D3 had no effect on colorectal cancer. A randomized controlled trial found that 14001500mg supplemental calcium and 1100 IU vitamin D3 reduced aggregated cancers with a relative risk of 0.402. An observational cohort study found that high calcium and vitamin D intake was associated with "lower risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer."

Calcium

11

Hazards and toxicity

Compared with other metals, the calcium ion and most calcium compounds have low toxicity. This is not surprising given the very high natural abundance of calcium compounds in the environment and in organisms. Calcium poses few serious environmental problems, with kidney stones the most common side-effect in clinical studies. Acute calcium poisoning is rare, and difficult to achieve unless calcium compounds are administered intravenously. For example, the oral median lethal dose (LD50) for rats for calcium carbonate and calcium chloride are 6.45 and 1.4g/kg, respectively. Calcium metal is hazardous because of its sometimes-violent reactions with water and acids. Calcium metal is found in some drain cleaners, where it functions to generate heat and calcium hydroxide that saponifies the fats and liquefies the proteins (e.g., hair) that block drains. When swallowed calcium metal has the same effect on the mouth, esophagus and stomach, and can be fatal.[6] Excessive consumption of calcium carbonate antacids/dietary supplements (such as Tums) over a period of weeks or months can cause milk-alkali syndrome, with symptoms ranging from hypercalcemia to potentially fatal renal failure. What constitutes excessive consumption is not well known and, it is presumed, varies a great deal from person to person. Persons consuming more than 10grams/day of CaCO3 (=4 g Ca) are at risk of developing milk-alkali syndrome, but the condition has been reported in at least one person consuming only 2.5grams/day of CaCO3 (=1 g Ca), an amount usually considered moderate and safe. Oral calcium supplements diminish the absorption of thyroxine when taken within four to six hours of each other. Thus, people taking both calcium and thyroxine run the risk of inadequate thyroid hormone replacement and thence hypothyroidism if they take them simultaneously or near-simultaneously.Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources (medicine) ExcessiveWikipedia:Vagueness calcium supplementation can be detrimental to cardiovascular health, especially in men.

References
[1] http:/ / en. wikipedia. org/ w/ index. php?title=Template:Infobox_calcium& action=edit [2] Theodore Gray. The Elements. Page 55 [3] http:/ / toolserver. org/ %7Edispenser/ cgi-bin/ dab_solver. py?page=Calcium& editintro=Template:Disambiguation_needed/ editintro& client=Template:Dn [4] "Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium Quick Facts (http:/ / ods. od. nih. gov/ factsheets/ Calcium-QuickFacts/ ) Retrieved 28 August 2013 [5] M. J. Bolland, A. Grey, A. Avenell, G. D. Gamble, I. R. Reid. (2011). "Calcium supplements with or without vitamin D and risk of cardiovascular events: reanalysis of the Women's Health Initiative limited access dataset and meta-analysis." BMJ;342:d2040 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.d2040 (http:/ / www. bmj. com/ content/ 342/ bmj. d2040) [6] Rumack BH. POISINDEX. Information System Micromedex, Inc., Englewood, CO, 2010; CCIS Volume 143. Hall AH and Rumack BH (Eds)

Calcium

12

Further reading
Rebecca J. Donatelle. Health, The Basics. 6th ed. San Francisco: Pearson Education, Inc. 2005.

External links
WebElements.com Calcium (http://www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Ca/index.html) Calcium (http://www.periodicvideos.com/videos/020.htm) at The Periodic Table of Videos (University of Nottingham) USDA National Nutrient Database, Calcium content of selected foods (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/ foodcomp/Data/SR17/wtrank/sr17a301.pdf) UK Food Standards Agency: Calcium (http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/healthydiet/nutritionessentials/ vitaminsandminerals/calcium/) Nutrition fact sheet from the National Institutes of Health (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium.asp)

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Isotopes
Isotopes of calcium
Calcium (Ca) has a total of 24 isotopes, from 34Ca to 57Ca. There are five observationally stable isotopes (40Ca, 42 Ca, 43Ca, 44Ca and 46Ca), plus one isotope (48Ca) with such a long half-life that for all practical purposes it can be considered stable. The most abundant isotope, 40Ca, as well as the rare 46Ca, are theoretically unstable on energetic grounds, but their decay has not been observed. Calcium also has a cosmogenic isotope, radioactive 41Ca, which has a half-life of 102,000 years. Unlike cosmogenic isotopes that are produced in the atmosphere, 41Ca is produced by neutron activation of 40Ca. Most of its production is in the upper metre or so of the soil column where the cosmogenic neutron flux is still sufficiently strong. 41Ca has received much attention in stellar studies because it decays to 41K, a critical indicator of solar-system anomalies. The most stable artificial radioisotope is 45Ca, with a half-life of 163 days. All other isotopes have half-lives of 163 days or less, most under a minute. The least stable is shorter than 35 nanoseconds.
40 34

Ca with a half-life

Ca comprises about 97% of naturally occurring calcium. 40Ca is also one of the daughter products of 40K decay, along with 40Ar. While K-Ar dating has been used extensively in the geological sciences, the prevalence of 40Ca in nature has impeded its use in dating. Techniques using mass spectrometry and a double spike isotope dilution have been used for K-Ca age dating. Standard atomic mass: 40.078(4) u

Table
nuclide Z(p) N(n) symbol isotopic mass (u) half-life
[1]

range of decay daughter nuclear representative [2][3] [4] spin isotopic natural mode(s) isotope(s) composition variation (mole (mole fraction) fraction) p
33 35 34 35

34 35

Ca Ca

20 20

14 34.01412(32)# 15 35.00494(21)#

<35 ns

K K Ar Ar

0+ 1/2+#

25.7(2) ms + (>99.9%) +, p (<.1%)

36

Ca

20

16 35.99309(4)

102(2) ms

+, p (56.8%) + (43.2%)

0+

36 36

K Ar (3/2+)

37

Ca

20

17 36.985870(24)

181.1(10) ms

+, p (74.5%) + (25.5%)

37 38 39

K K K 0+ 3/2+

38 39

Ca Ca

20 20

18 37.976318(5) 19 38.9707197(20)

440(8) ms 859.6(14) ms

+ +

Isotopes of calcium

14
20 39.96259098(22)
[6]

40 41

Ca Ca

[5]

20 20

Observationally Stable
41

0+ 7/2-

0.96941(156) Trace
[7]

0.96933-0.96947

21 40.96227806(26) 1.02(7)105 EC a 22 41.95861801(27) 23 42.9587666(3) 24 43.9554818(4) 25 44.9561866(4) 26 45.9536926(24) 27 46.9545460(24) 28 47.952534(4) 162.67(25) d Stable Stable Stable

42 43 44 45

Ca Ca Ca Ca Ca Ca Ca
[9]

20 20 20 20 20 20 20

0+ 7/20+
45

0.00647(23) 0.00135(10) 0.02086(110)

0.00646-0.00648 0.00135-0.00135 0.02082-0.02092

Sc
[8]

7/20+ 7/20+ 0.00187(21) 0.00186-0.00188 4(3)105 4105-4105

46 47 48

Observationally Stable 4.536(3) d [10]

47 48

Sc Ti

43(38)1018 -a 8.718(6) min 13.9(6) s 10.0(8) s -

49

Ca Ca Ca

20 20 20

29 48.955674(4) 30 49.957519(10) 31 50.9615(1)

49

Sc Sc Sc Sc Sc Sc Sc Sc Sc Sc Sc Sc Sc Sc

3/20+ (3/2-)#

50 51

50 51 50 52 51 53 52 53 54 55

- (>99.9%) -, n (<.1%)

52

Ca

20

32 51.96510(75)

4.6(3) s

- (98%) -, n (2%)

0+

53

Ca

20

33 52.97005(54)#

90(15) ms

- (70%) -, n (30%)

3/2-#

54

Ca

20

34 53.97435(75)#

50# ms [>300 ns] 30# ms [>300 ns] 10# ms [>300 ns] 5# ms

-, n -

0+

55

Ca Ca Ca

20 20 20

35 54.98055(75)# 36 55.98557(97)# 37 56.99236(107)#

-, n

5/2-# 0+ 5/2-#

56

56

57

57 56

[1] Bold for isotopes with half-lives longer than the age of the universe (nearly stable) [2] http:/ / www. nucleonica. net/ unc. aspx [3] Abbreviations: EC: Electron capture [4] Bold for stable isotopes [5] Heaviest nuclide with equal numbers of protons and neutrons with no observed decay [6] Believed to undergo ++ decay to 40Ar with a half-life no less than 5.91021 a [7] Cosmogenic nuclide [8] Believed to undergo -- decay to 46Ti with a half-life no less than 2.81015 a [9] Primordial radionuclide [10] Lightest nuclide known to undergo double beta decay

Isotopes of calcium

15

Notes
Evaluated isotopic composition is for most but not all commercial samples. The precision of the isotope abundances and atomic mass is limited through variations. The given ranges should be applicable to any normal terrestrial material. Geologically exceptional samples are known in which the isotopic composition lies outside the reported range. The uncertainty in the atomic mass may exceed the stated value for such specimens. Values marked # are not purely derived from experimental data, but at least partly from systematic trends. Spins with weak assignment arguments are enclosed in parentheses. Uncertainties are given in concise form in parentheses after the corresponding last digits. Uncertainty values denote one standard deviation, except isotopic composition and standard atomic mass from IUPAC which use expanded uncertainties. Nuclide masses are given by IUPAP Commission on Symbols, Units, Nomenclature, Atomic Masses and Fundamental Constants (SUNAMCO). Isotope abundances are given by IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights.

References
Isotope masses from: G. Audi, A. H. Wapstra, C. Thibault, J. Blachot and O. Bersillon (2003). "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties" (http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/amdc/nubase/Nubase2003.pdf). Nuclear Physics A 729: 3128. Bibcode: 2003NuPhA.729....3A (http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003NuPhA.729....3A). doi: 10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001). Isotopic compositions and standard atomic masses from: J. R. de Laeter, J. K. Bhlke, P. De Bivre, H. Hidaka, H. S. Peiser, K. J. R. Rosman and P. D. P. Taylor (2003). "Atomic weights of the elements. Review 2000 (IUPAC Technical Report)" (http://www.iupac.org/ publications/pac/75/6/0683/pdf/). Pure and Applied Chemistry 75 (6): 683800. doi: 10.1351/pac200375060683 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1351/pac200375060683). M. E. Wieser (2006). "Atomic weights of the elements 2005 (IUPAC Technical Report)" (http://iupac.org/ publications/pac/78/11/2051/pdf/). Pure and Applied Chemistry 78 (11): 20512066. doi: 10.1351/pac200678112051 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1351/pac200678112051). Lay summary (http://old. iupac.org/news/archives/2005/atomic-weights_revised05.html). Half-life, spin, and isomer data selected from the following sources. See editing notes on this article's talk page. G. Audi, A. H. Wapstra, C. Thibault, J. Blachot and O. Bersillon (2003). "The NUBASE evaluation of nuclear and decay properties" (http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/amdc/nubase/Nubase2003.pdf). Nuclear Physics A 729: 3128. Bibcode: 2003NuPhA.729....3A (http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003NuPhA.729....3A). doi: 10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2003.11.001). National Nuclear Data Center. "NuDat 2.1 database" (http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/nudat2/). Brookhaven National Laboratory. Retrieved September 2005. N. E. Holden (2004). "Table of the Isotopes". In D. R. Lide. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (85th ed.). CRC Press. Section 11. ISBN978-0-8493-0485-9.

Isotopes of calcium

16

Further reading
C.Michael Hogan. 2010. Calcium. ed. A.Jorgenson and C.Cleveland. Encyclopedia of Earth, National Council for Science and the Environment, Washington DC (http://www.eoearth.org/article/Calcium?topic=49557)

External links
Calcium isotopes data from The Berkeley Laboratory Isotopes Project's (http://ie.lbl.gov/education/parent/ Ca_iso.htm)
Isotopes of potassium Isotopes of calcium Isotopes of scandium Table of nuclides

17

Miscellany
Calcium in biology
Calcium (Ca2+) plays a pivotal role in the physiology and biochemistry of organisms and the cell. It plays an important role in signal transduction pathways, where it acts as a second messenger, in neurotransmitter release from neurons, contraction of all muscle cell types, and fertilization. Many enzymes require calcium ions as a cofactor, those of the blood-clotting cascade being notable examples. Extracellular calcium is also important for maintaining the potential difference across excitable cell membranes, as well as proper bone formation. Calcium levels in mammals are tightly regulated,[] with bone acting as the major mineral storage site. Calcium ions, Ca2+, are released from bone into the bloodstream under controlled conditions. Calcium is transported through the bloodstream as dissolved ions or bound to proteins such as serum albumin. Parathyroid hormone secreted by the parathyroid gland regulates the resorption of Ca2+ from bone, reabsorption in the kidney back into circulation, and increases in the activation of vitamin D3 to Calcitriol. Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D3, promotes absorption of calcium from the intestines and the mobilization of calcium ions from bone matrix. Calcitonin secreted from the parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland also affects calcium levels by opposing parathyroid hormone; however, its physiological significance in humans is dubious. Calcium storages are intracellular organelles, that constantly accumulate Ca2+ ions and release them during certain cellular events. Intracellular Ca2+ storages include mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum.

Eukaryota
Animalia
Vertebrates In vertebrates, calcium ions, like many other ions, are of such vital importance to many physiological processes that its concentration is maintained within specific limits to ensure adequate homeostasis. This is evidenced by human plasma calcium, which is one of the most closely regulated physiological variables in the human body. Normal plasma levels vary between 1 and 2% over any given time. Approximately half of all ionized calcium circulates in its unbound form, with the other half being complexed with plasma proteins such as albumin, as well as anions including bicarbonate, citrate, phosphate, and sulfate.

Calcium in biology

18

Different tissues contain calcium in different concentrations. For instance, Ca2+ (mostly calcium phosphate and some calcium sulfate) is the most important (and specific) element of bone and calcified cartilage. In humans, the total body content of calcium is present mostly in the form of bone mineral (roughly 99%). In this state, it is largely unavailable for exchange/bioavailability. The way to overcome this is through the process of bone resorption, in which calcium is liberated into the bloodstream through the action of bone osteoclasts. The remainder of calcium is present within the extracellular and intracellular fluids. Within a typical cell, the intracellular concentration of ionized calcium is roughly 100 nM, but is subject to increases of 10 to 100-fold during various cellular functions. The intracellular calcium level is kept relatively low with respect to the extracellular fluid, by an approximate magnitude of 12,000-fold. This Calcium regulation in the human body. gradient is maintained through various plasma membrane calcium pumps that utilize ATP for energy, as well as a sizable storage within intracellular compartments. In electrically excitable cells, such as skeletal and cardiac muscles and neurons, membrane depolarization leads to a Ca2+ transient with cytosolic Ca2+ concentration reaching 400 nM and above. Mitochondria are capable of sequestering and storing some of that Ca2+. It has been estimated that mitochondrial matrix free calcium concentration rises to the tens of micromolar levels in situ during neuronal activity. Effects The effects of calcium on human cells are specific, meaning that different types of cells respond in different ways. However, in certain circumstances, its action may be more general. Ca2+ ions are one of the most widespread second messengers used in signal transduction. They make their entrance into the cytoplasm either from outside the cell through the cell membrane via calcium channels (such as Calcium-binding proteins or voltage-gated calcium channels), or from some internal calcium storages such as the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. Levels of intracellular calcium are regulated by transport proteins that remove it from the cell. For example, the sodium-calcium exchanger uses energy from the electrochemical gradient of sodium by coupling the influx of sodium into cell (and down its concentration gradient) with the transport of calcium out of the cell. In addition, the plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPase (PMCA) obtains energy to pump calcium out of the cell by hydrolysing adenosine triphosphate (ATP). In neurons, voltage-dependent, calcium-selective ion channels are important for synaptic transmission through the release of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft by vesicle fusion of synaptic vesicles. Calcium's function in muscle contraction was found as early as 1882 by Ringer. Subsequent investigations were 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 such as troponin-C (the first one to be identified) and calmodulin, proteins that are necessary for promoting contraction in muscle.

Calcium in biology

19

Cell type secretory cells (mostly) secretion (vesicle fusion) juxtaglomerular cell Parathyroid chief cells Neurons T cells myocytes secretion secretion transmission (vesicle fusion)

Effect

Activation in response to antigen presentation to the T cell receptor contraction Activation of protein kinase C

Various

Activation of protein kinase C Further reading: Function of protein kinase C

Reference ranges for blood tests, showing calcium levels in purple at right.

Negative effects and pathology Substantial decreases in extracellular Ca2+ ion concentrations may result in a condition known as hypocalcemic tetany, which is marked by spontaneous motor neuron discharge. In addition, severe hypocalcaemia will begin to affect aspects of blood coagulation and signal transduction. Ca2+ ions can damage cells if they enter in excessive numbers (for example, in the case of excitotoxicity, or over-excitation of neural circuits, which can occur in neurodegenerative diseases, or after insults such as brain trauma or stroke). Excessive entry of calcium into a cell may damage it or even cause it to undergo apoptosis, or death by necrosis. Calcium also acts as one of the primary regulators of osmotic stress (Osmotic shock). Chronically elevated plasma calcium (hypercalcemia) is associated with cardiac arrhythmias and decreased neuromuscular excitability. One cause of hypercalcemia is a condition known as hyperparathyroidism. Invertebrates Some invertebrates use calcium compounds for building their exoskeleton (shells and carapaces) or endoskeleton (echinoderm plates and poriferan calcareous spicules).

Plantae
Stomata closing When ABA signals the guard cells, free Ca2+ ions enter the cytosol from both outside the cell and internal stores, reversing the concentration gradient so the K+ ions begin exiting the cell. The loss of solutes makes the cell flaccid and closes the stomatal pores.

Calcium in biology Cellular division Calcium is a necessary ion in the formation of the mitotic spindle. Without the mitotic spindle, cellular division cannot occur. Although young leaves have a higher need for calcium, older leaves contain higher amounts of calcium because calcium is relatively immobile through the plant. It is not transported through the phloem because it can bind with other nutrient ions and precipitate out of liquid solutions. Structural roles Ca2+ ions are an essential component of plant cell walls and cell membranes, and are used as cations to balance organic anions in the plant vacuole. The Ca2+ concentration of the vacuole may reach millimolar levels. The most striking use of Ca2+ ions as a structural element in plants occurs in the marine coccolithophores, which use Ca2+ to form the calcium carbonate plates, with which they are covered. Calcium is needed to form the pectin in the middle lamella of newly formed cells. Calcium is needed to stabilize the permeability of cell membranes. Without calcium, the cell walls are unable to stabilize and hold their contents. This is particularly important in developing fruits. Without calcium, the cell walls are weak and unable to hold the contents of the fruit. Some plants accumulate Ca in their tissues, thus making them more firm. Calcium is stored as Ca-oxalate crystals in plastids. Calcium coordination plays an important role in defining the structure and function of proteins. An example a protein with calcium coordination is von Willebrand factor (vWF) which has an essential role in blood clot formation process. It is discovered -using single molecule optical tweezers measurement - that calcium-bound vWF acts as a shear force sensor in the blood. Shear force leads to unfolding of the A2 domain of vWF whose refolding rate is dramatically enhanced in the presence of calcium.[1] Cell signaling Ca2+ ions are usually kept at nanomolar levels in the cytosol of plant cells, and act in a number of signal transduction pathways as second messengers.

20

Protists
Many protists make use of calcium.

Measurement
The amount of calcium in blood (more specifically, in blood plasma) can be measured as total calcium, which includes both protein-bound and free calcium. In contrast, ionized calcium is a measure of free calcium. An abnormally high level of calcium in plasma is termed hypercalcemia and an abnormally low level is termed hypocalcemia, with "abnormal" generally referring to levels outside the reference range.

Calcium in biology

21

Reference ranges for blood tests for calcium

Target Lower limit Upper limit Unit mmol/L mg/dL

Ionized calcium 1.03, 1.10[2] 1.23, 1.30 4.1, Total calcium 2.1, [3] 4.4 4.9, 5.2

[4][3]

2.2 2.5, 2.6, 2.8 mmol/L 10.2, 10.5 mg/dL

8.4, 8.5

[5]

The total amount of Ca2+ present in a tissue may be measured using Atomic absorption spectroscopy, in which the tissue is vaporized and combusted. To measure Ca2+ concentration or spatial distribution within the cell cytoplasm in vivo, a range of fluorescent reporters may be used. These include cell permeable, calcium-binding fluorescent dyes such as Fura-2 or genetically engineered variant of green fluorescent protein (GFP) named Cameleon.

Food sources
The USDA web site has a very complete table of calcium content (in mg) of common foods per common measures (link below). Calcium amount in foods, 100 g: parmesan (cheese) = 1140mg milk powder = 909mg Cheddar cheese = 720mg tahini paste = 427mg molasses = 273mg hazelnuts = 114mg almonds = 234mg sesame seeds (unhulled) = 125mg nonfat cow milk = 122mg plain whole-milk yogurt = 121mg ricotta (skimmed milk cheese) = 90mg brown sugar = 85mg lentils = 79mg wheat germs = 72mg pigeon peas = 62.7mg eggs, boiled = 50mg chickpeas = 53.1 flour = 41mg orange = 40mg human milk = 33mg rice, white, long-grain, parboiled, enriched, cooked = 19mg trout = 19mg beef = 12mg cod = 11mg horse meat = 10mg honey = 5mg white sugar = 0mg

Calcium in biology

22

References
[1] Jakobi AJ, Mashaghi A, Tans SJ, Huizinga EG. Calcium modulates force sensing by the von Willebrand factor A2 domain. Nature Commun. 2011 Jul 12;2:385. (http:/ / www. nature. com/ ncomms/ journal/ v2/ n7/ full/ ncomms1385. html) [2] Reference range list from Uppsala University Hospital ("Laborationslista"). Artnr 40284 Sj74a. Issued on April 22, 2008 [3] Derived from molar values using molar mass of 40.08 gmol1 [4] Last page of [5] Blood Test Results - Normal Ranges (http:/ / www. bloodbook. com/ ranges. html) Bloodbook.Com

External links
USDA national nutritional database, Calcium content of selected foods (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/ foodcomp/Data/SR17/wtrank/sr17a301.pdf) Calcium and vitamin D (http://www.nof.org/prevention/calcium_and_VitaminD.htm).

Calcium metabolism
Calcium metabolism or calcium homeostasis is the mechanism by which the body maintains adequate calcium levels. Derangements of this mechanism lead to hypercalcemia or hypocalcemia, both of which can have important consequences for health.

Calcium

Calcium location and quantity

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. The average adult body contains in total approximately 1kg, 99% in the skeleton in the form of calcium phosphate salts. The extracellular fluid (ECF) contains approximately 22.5mmol, of which about 9mmol is in the plasma. Approximately 500mmol of calcium is exchanged between bone and the ECF over a period of twenty-four hours.

Biological functions
Structural function: Supporting material in bones. Present as calcium phosphate. Signalling function: Intracellular calcium functions as a second messenger for the secretion of some hormones and neurotransmitters. Also acts as an intracellular permeation regulator and mediator of muscle contraction. Enzymatic function: Calcium acts as a coenzyme for clotting factors. Calcium also causes the release of Acetylcholine from pre-synaptic terminals in the transmission of nerve impulses. Calcium causes the contraction of muscles, removing the Triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) subunit from Myosin head which has ATPase activity to cause contraction.

Calcium metabolism

23

Normal ranges
The plasma level of calcium is closely regulated with a normal total calcium of 2.2-2.6mmol/L (9-10.5mg/dL) and a normal ionized calcium of 1.1-1.4mmol/L (4.5-5.6mg/dL). The amount of total calcium varies with the level of serum albumin, a protein to which calcium is bound. The biologic effect of calcium is determined by the amount of ionized calcium, rather than the total calcium. Ionized calcium does not vary with the albumin level, and therefore it is useful to measure the ionized calcium level when the serum albumin is not within normal ranges, or when a calcium disorder is suspected despite a normal total calcium level.

Corrected calcium level

One can derive a corrected calcium (also known as adjusted calcium) level, to allow for the change in total calcium due to the change in albumin-bound calcium. This gives an estimate of what the total calcium level would be if the albumin were a specified normal value. Exact formulae used to derive corrected calcium may depend on the analytical methods used for calcium and albumin. However the traditional method of calculating it is shown below. Corrected calcium (mg/dL) = measured total Ca (mg/dL) + 0.8 (4.0 - serum albumin [g/dL]), where 4.0 represents the average albumin level in g/dL. in other words, each 1 g/dL decrease of albumin will decrease 0.8mg/dL in measured serum Ca and thus 0.8 must be added to the measured Calcium to get a corrected Calcium value. Or: Corrected calcium (mmol/L) = measured total Ca (mmol/L) + 0.02 (40 - serum albumin [g/L]), where 40 represents the average albumin level in g/L in other words, each 1 g/L decrease of albumin, will decrease 0.02mmol/L in measured serum Ca and thus 0.02 must be added to the measured value to take this into account and get a corrected calcium. When there is hypoalbuminemia (a lower than normal albumin), the corrected calcium level is higher than the total calcium.

Effector organs
Absorption
About 25 mmol of calcium enters the body in a normal diet. Of this, about 40% (10mmol) is absorbed in small intestine, and 5mmol leaves the body in feces, netting 5mmol of calcium a day.[1] Calcium is absorbed across the intestinal brush border membrane, passing through ion channels such as TRPV6. Calbindin is a vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein inside intestinal epithelial cells which functions together with TRPV6 and calcium pumps (PMCA1) in the basal membrane to actively transport calcium into the body. Active transport of calcium occurs primarily in the duodenum portion of the intestine when calcium intake is low; and through passive paracellular transport occurs in the jejunum and ileum parts when calcium intake is high, independent of Vitamin D level.[2]

Calcium metabolism

24

Excretion
The kidney excretes 250mmol a day in pro-urine, and resorbs 245mmol, leading to a net loss in the urine of 5mmol/d. In addition to this, the kidney processes Vitamin D into calcitriol, the active form that is most effective in assisting intestinal absorption. Both processes are stimulated by parathyroid hormone.

The role of bone

Although calcium flow to and from the bone is neutral, about 5mmol is turned over a day. Bone serves as an important storage point for calcium, as it contains 99% of the total body calcium. Calcium release from bone is regulated by parathyroid hormone. Calcitonin stimulates incorporation of calcium in bone, although this process is largely independent of calcitonin. Low calcium intake may also be a risk factor in the development of osteoporosis. In one meta-analysis, the authors found that fifty out of the fifty-two studies that they reviewed showed that calcium intake promoted better bone balance. With a better bone balance, the risk of osteoporosis is lowered.

Interaction with other chemicals

Potential positive interactions
Vitamin D is an important co-factor in the intestinal absorption of calcium, as it increases the number of calcium binding proteins, involved in calcium absorption through the apical membrane of enterocytes in small intestine. It also promotes re-absorption of calcium in the kidneys.[citation needed] Magnesium also plays an important role in calcium absorption by bones. Release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum is inhibited by magnesium. Thus hypomagnesemia results in an increased intracellular calcium level. This inhibits the release of parathyroid hormone, which can result in hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia. Furthermore, it makes skeletal and muscle receptors less sensitive to parathyroid hormone. [citation
needed]

Boron[citation needed]

Potential negative interactions

"Unesterified long-chain saturated fatty acids, i.e. palmitic acid, have a melting point above body temperature and, with sufficient calcium in the intestinal lumen, form insoluble calcium soaps." Sodium binding to calcium Phytic acid binding to calcium Oxalic acid binding to calcium Cortisol binding to calcium Low pH food and proteins (the latter promotes gastric acid)[citation needed]

Calcium metabolism

25

Regulatory organs
Primarily calcium is regulated by the actions of 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin and direct exchange with the bone matrix. Plasma calcium levels are regulated by hormonal and non-hormonal mechanisms. After ingestion of substantial amounts of calcium the short term control that prevents calcium spiking in the serum is absorption by the bone matrix. After about an hour, PTH will be released and not peak for about 8 hours.[4] The PTH is, over time, a very potent regulator of plasma calcium, and controls the conversion of vitamin D into its active form in the kidney. The parathyroid glands are located behind the thyroid, and produce parathyroid hormone in response to low calcium levels. The parafollicular cells of the thyroid produce calcitonin in response to high calcium levels, but its significance is much smaller than that of PTH.
Calcium regulation in the human body. [3]

Pathology
Hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia are both serious medical disorders. Renal osteodystrophy is a consequence of chronic renal failure related to the calcium metabolism. Osteoporosis and osteomalacia have been linked to calcium metabolism disorders.

Research into cancer prevention

The role that calcium might have in reducing the rates of colorectal cancer has been the subject of many studies. However, given its modest efficacy, there is no current medical recommendation to use calcium for cancer reduction. Several epidemiological studies suggest that people with high calcium intake have a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. These observations have been confirmed by experimental studies in volunteers and in rodents. One large scale clinical trial shows that 1.2 g calcium each day reduces, modestly, intestinal polyps recurrence in volunteers. Data from the four published trials are available.[5] Some forty carcinogenesis studies in rats or mice, reported in the Chemoprev.Database, also support that calcium could prevent intestinal cancer.[6]

References
[1] Barrett KE, Barman SM, Boitano S, Brooks H, "Chapter 23. Hormonal Control of Calcium & Phosphate Metabolism & the Physiology of Bone" (Chapter). Barrett KE, Barman SM, Boitano S, Brooks H: Ganong's Review of Medical Physiology, 23e: http:/ / www. accessmedicine. com/ content. aspx?aID=5244785. [2] http:/ / www. vivo. colostate. edu/ hbooks/ pathphys/ digestion/ smallgut/ absorb_minerals. html [3] Page 1094 (The Parathyroid Glands and Vitamin D) in: [4] Medical Physiology; Guyton, Saunders and Co. 1976pp.1062 [5] Potency-Man (http:/ / www. inra. fr/ reseau-nacre/ sci-memb/ corpet/ Data/ table. php?file=Potency-Man. txt) [6] Calcium meta-analysis Colon Cancer chemoprevention systematic review (http:/ / www. inra. fr/ reseau-nacre/ sci-memb/ corpet/ MAcalcium. html)

Calcium metabolism

26

External links
Calcium (http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/calcium/tab/test) at Lab Tests Online Physiology at MCG 5/5ch6/5ch6line (http://web.archive.org/web/20080401093403/http://www.lib.mcg. edu/edu/eshuphysio/program/section5/5ch6/5ch6line.htm)

Calcium deficiency
Calcium (Ca) deficiency is a plant disorder that can be caused by insufficient calcium in the growing medium, but is more frequently a product of low transpiration of the whole plant or more commonly the affected tissue. Plants are susceptible to such localized calcium deficiencies in low or nontranspiring tissues because calcium is not transported in the phloem. This may be due to water shortages, which slow the transportation of calcium to the plant, poor uptake of calcium through the stem, or can be caused by excessive usage of potassium or nitrogen fertilizers.[citation needed]

Calcium deficiency (blossom end rot) on a tomato

Causes
Acidic, sandy, or coarse soils often contain less calcium. Uneven soil moisture and overuse of fertilizers can also cause calcium deficiency. At times, even with sufficient calcium in the soil, it can be in an insoluble form and is then unusable by the plant or it could be attributed to a "transport protein".[] Soils containing high phosphorus are particularly susceptible to creating insoluble forms of calcium.

Symptoms
Calcium deficiency symptoms appear initially as localized tissue necrosis leading to stunted plant growth, necrotic leaf margins on young leaves or curling of the leaves, and eventual death of terminal buds and root tips. Generally, the new growth and rapidly growing tissues of the plant are affected first. The mature leaves are rarely if ever affected because calcium accumulates to high concentrations in older leaves. Crop-specific symptoms include[citation needed]: Apple 'Bitter pit' fruit skins develop pits, brown spots appear on skin and/or in flesh and taste of those areas is bitter. This usually occurs when fruit is in storage, and Bramley apples are particularly susceptible. Related to boron deficiency, "water cored" apples seldom display bitter pit effects. Cabbage and Brussels sprouts Internal browning and "tip burn" Carrot

Blossom end rot on a grape tomato

Calcium deficiency 'Cavity spot' oval spots develop into craters which may be invaded by other disease-causing organisms. Celery Stunted growth, central leaves stunted. Tomatoes and peppers 'Blossom end rot' Symptoms start as sunken, dry decaying areas at the blossom end of the fruit, furthest away from the stem, not all fruit on a truss is necessarily affected. Sometimes rapid growth from high-nitrogen fertilizers may exacerbate blossom end rot.

27

Treatment
Calcium deficiency can sometimes be rectified by adding agricultural lime to acid soils, aiming at a pH of 6.5, unless the subject plants specifically prefer acidic soil. Organic matter should be added to the soil to improve its moisture-retaining capacity. However, because of the nature of the disorder (i.e. poor transport of calcium to low transpiring tissues), the problem cannot generally be cured by the addition of calcium to the roots. In some species, the problem can be reduced by prophylactic spraying with calcium chloride of tissues at risk. [citation needed]

Dissection of grape tomato with blossom end rot

Plant damage is difficult to reverse, so corrective action should be taken immediately, supplemental applications of calcium nitrate at 200 ppm nitrogen, for example. Soil pH should be tested, and corrected if needed, because calcium deficiency is often associated with low pH. [citation needed]

References
Hopkins, William G., Norman P.A. Hner. Introduction to Plant Physiology. London: Wiley & Sons, 2009. Nguyen, Ivy. Increasing Vitamin D2 with Ergosterol for Calcium Absorption in Sugarcane. UC Davis COSMOS. July 2009. 17 October 2010. NGUYEN_IVY.pdf [1] Simon, E.W. The Symptoms of Calcium Deficiency in Plants. New Phytologist 80 (1978):1-15.

Notes
[1] http:/ / cosmos. ucdavis. edu/ archives/ 2009/ cluster1/ NGUYEN_IVY. pdf

External links
Blossom end Rot video (http://www.infoagro.com/video/video_agricola.asp?id=16) Example of blossom end rot on Roma tomatoes (http://tinypic.com/6739yo) Blossom End Rot - symptoms, cause and management (http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3117.html) The Ohio State University Extension

Article Sources and Contributors

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Article Sources and Contributors

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LeCour, Richnotts, Rifleman 82, Risos, Rje, Rjstott, Rjwilmsi, Robbiemuffin, Romanm, Ronz, RotaryAce, RoyBoy, Rror, Ryan, RyanCross, Ryanrulz 11, Sai21, Samuel 1993 lee, Samwalton9, Saperaud, Sbharris, Schaufel, Schneelocke, Scohoust, Sealgrl, Seb az86556, Semperf, Sengkang, Sfnhltb, Shad0, Shalom Yechiel, Shanes, Shanqz, Shirik, Shirulashem, Sillybilly, SimonP, Sjakkalle, Skarebo, Skatebiker, Sl, Slakr, Smity3, Snoopydawg, Snowolf, Solipsist, Someguy1221, Somethinginsane, Sp, Specter01010, Spring Rubber, SpuriousQ, Squids and Chips, Srich32977, Starpad, Stephen Gilbert, Steven Zhang, Sticky Parkin, Stone, Struvite, Stuckonbandaids, Sturm55, Suisui, Sunborn, Sunderland06, Susvolans, T0lk, THX-1138, Tae Guk Gi, Tagishsimon, Tb, Tea with toast, TenPoundHammer, Tetracube, The Thing That Should Not Be, The bellman, TheKMan, Theda, TheocracyInMyPants, Thingg, Thricecube, Thumperward, Tiddly Tom, Tim Starling, TinyTasha78, Tirdun, Titoxd, Tlesher, Tobby72, Tom harrison, Tompagenet, Topbanana, Trevor MacInnis, TrickOfTheLight, Turk olan, TylerDurden8823, VASANTH S.N., Vancouverguy, Vandrew, Vanka5, Vegaswikian, Violetriga, Vipper132, Vsmith, Vuong Ngan Ha, Wang ty87916, Ward3001, Warut, Wasnl56, Watch37264, Wavelength, Wayward, Wdanwatts, West Brom 4ever, Whywhenwhohow, Wiki alf, William Avery, Wimt, Wolfkeeper, Woohookitty, Worthawholebean, Yamamoto Ichiro, Yarny7, Youssefsan, Yuckfoo, Yyy, Zalgo, Zoicon5, Zse1234567890, Zwroberts, , , 1455 anonymous edits Isotopes of calcium Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=574344929 Contributors: 777sms, Ardric47, Bryan Derksen, Burzuchius, CharlesHBennett, Chris the speller, DMacks, Donarreiskoffer, Femto, Ginsuloft, Headbomb, Hqb, Icek, J.meija, Karlhahn, Mikespedia, Pinethicket, Rjwilmsi, Tvinh, West.andrew.g, Whoop whoop pull up, William JJ, XinaNicole, YixilTesiphon, 17 anonymous edits Calcium in biology Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=585881363 Contributors: Ajay5150, Amakuha, Arcadian, Arseni, Artichoker, Asiela, Badagnani, Bgwhite, Biochemza, Bryan Derksen, Chris the speller, Clicketyclack, Cnickelfr, Cohesion, Crag, Dcirovic, Delldot, Delldot on a public computer, Delta G, Dlrohrer2003, Drphilharmonic, Dstudent, Eastlaw, Emmanuelm, EryZ, Flying sheep, Frangibility, Gobonobo, Heidiho29, J.delanoy, J04n, Jackbauer115, Jared81, Ka Faraq Gatri, Kai445, Keenan Pepper, Lambiam, Lectonar, Luci Sandor, Ma8thew, Mashin6, Matthew238, Mav, Michael H 34, MichaelWheeley, Mikael Hggstrm, Mushin, Nen, Nomad2u001, Ntsimp, Ntudreamer, Nufy8, OwenBlacker, P199, PS2pcGAMER, Petergans, Phlebas, Qxz, RDBrown, Racingstripes, RandomP, Reedy, Rjwilmsi, Samar, Sangak, Scwlong, Sjakkalle, Slarson, Smartse, SteinbDJ, Stewartadcock, Stone, Tony Sidaway, Useight, Vanv2642, Wavelength, Wisdom89, 95 anonymous edits Calcium metabolism Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=586185688 Contributors: Allmightyduck, Apollo1758, Arcadian, Ark7, Arripay, Bensaccount, BrightStarSky, Brim, Bryan Derksen, Corpet, Drcarlos, Dreadstar, Eleassar777, Generic Player, Gildindaimoth, Gobonobo, Headbomb, IONTRANSP, Inferior Olive, Jasonasosa, Jfdwolff, Jimw338, Jonathan.viney, K.nirujan, Lir, LittleHow, MIRROR, Materialscientist, Mikael Hggstrm, Mike2vil, Moez, MooresLaw, Nen, Ntsimp, Nutriveg, ObjectivismLover, Pinethicket, R'n'B, RDBrown, RJFJR, Rhombus, Riley Huntley, Rjwilmsi, RoyBoy, Sam Hocevar, Snowolf, Sturders, Theolatic, Thine Antique Pen, Ururu, WQUlrich, WatchAndObserve, Westin, Zmandel, 84 anonymous edits Calcium deficiency Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=584120241 Contributors: (, A13ean, Aaronw, Agarciagrower, BD2412, Bryan Derksen, Bunchofgrapes, C. Ryan Long, Clicketyclack, D6, DadaNeem, Drf5n, Earthdirt, Eug, Excirial, Fred Bradstadt, Headbomb, Heidiho29, HelloMojo, Hephaestos, Heron, Ipatrol, Katharineamy, Kazvorpal, Ketsuekigata, Menthaxpiperita, Mgreenbe, Million Moments, Nominus, PDH, Pinethicket, Pixelface, Quercusrobur, RJFJR, Red58bill, RedGreenInBlue, Rhombus, Sidelight12, SilkTork, Siltloam, Tannin, Teratornis, Tristanb, Widr, 25 anonymous edits

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Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

File:Transparent.gif Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Transparent.gif License: Public Domain Contributors: Edokter file:Calcium unter Argon Schutzgasatmosphre.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Calcium_unter_Argon_Schutzgasatmosphre.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Matthias Zepper file:Calcium Spectrum.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Calcium_Spectrum.png License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: User:Abbybilanin File:Cubic-face-centered.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Cubic-face-centered.svg License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: Original PNGs by Daniel Mayer and DrBob, traced in Inkscape by User:Stannered File:FlammenfrbungCa.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:FlammenfrbungCa.png License: Public Domain Contributors: Jusjih, Red devil 666, Saperaud, 1 anonymous edits Image:Pamukkale Hierapolis Travertine pools.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Pamukkale_Hierapolis_Travertine_pools.JPG License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: Pvasiliadis Image:500 mg calcium supplements with vitamin D.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:500_mg_calcium_supplements_with_vitamin_D.jpg License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: Ragesoss File:Calcium regulation.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Calcium_regulation.png License: Public Domain Contributors: Mikael Hggstrm File:Blood values sorted by mass and molar concentration.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Blood_values_sorted_by_mass_and_molar_concentration.png License: Creative Commons Zero Contributors: Mikael Hggstrm Image:Ca-TableImage.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Ca-TableImage.png License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: user:Schneelocke File:Blossom end rot.JPG Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Blossom_end_rot.JPG License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: A13ean File:Blossomendrot.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Blossomendrot.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Siltloam File:Blossomrotcloseup.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Blossomrotcloseup.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Siltloam

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