Bone growth and maintenance

Vitamin A, as retinal, has a clearly established role in vision (Chapter 23) and apparently has a specialized function in reproduction. In vitamin A deficiency no sperm cells are formed in males, and fetal resorption occurs in females. Rats deprived of vitamin Abut fed retinoic acid become blind and sterile but otherwise appear healthy.e bb Evidently either the alcohol or the aldehyde has an essential function in reproduction, whereas bone growth and maintenance of mucous secretions requires only retinoic acid. Indeed, retinoic acid is 100 to 1000 times more active than other forms of vitamin A in these differentiation functions.1 ... 

During the past 15 years, research findings have indicated that boron is required or beneficial in higher animals and humans for many life processes including embryogene-sis, bone growth and maintenance, immune function, psychomotor skills, and cognitive function (Nielsen 2000, 2001). 

Other related effects These include the development of libido at puberty maintenance of the. sex drive in the adult male controlling the secretion of LH by the anterior pituitary via feedback mechanisms the development and maintenance of male secondary sexual characteristics and general protein anabolic effects, including bone growth and induction of aggressive behavior. Low levels of testosterone and decreased libido lead to ED. 

Like their neighbors sodium and potassium, magnesium and calcium are relatively abundant on Earth and in seawater and are essential for living organisms as cations in ionic compounds. Calcium is particularly important for growth and maintenance of bones and teeth. 

The principal cell in cartilage is the chondrocyte. Responsible for matrix production during growth and maintenance of the matrix in mature tissue, chondrocytes occupy only about 10 percent of the overall tissue volume (Mankin et al., 1994). Due to the avascular nattire of articular cartilage, the provision of metabolites to the cells is assumed to occur via diffusion from the synovial fluid or, to a lesser extent, the underlying bone (Mankin et al., 1994). However, the lack of blood supply severely diminishes the ability of cartilage to heal once it has been damaged. 

Silicon (Si) 3000 mg Needed for growth and maintenance of bone and teeth, tendons and ligaments, hair and skin... 

Vitamins A, D, and E are required by mminants and, therefore, their supplementation is sometimes necessary. Vitamin A [68-26-8] is important in maintaining proper vision, maintenance and growth of squamous epitheHal ceUs, and bone growth (23). Vitamin D [1406-16-2] is most important for maintaining proper calcium absorption from the small intestine. It also aids in mobilizing calcium from bones and in optimizing absorption of phosphoms from the small intestine (23). Supplementation of vitamins A and D at their minimum daily requirement is recommended because feedstuffs are highly variable in their content of these vitamins. 

Many cytokines play a regulatory role in processes other that immunity and inflammation. Neurotrophic factors, such as NGF and BDNF, regulate growth, development and maintenance of various neural populations in the central and peripheral nervous system. EPO stimulates the production of red blood cells from erythroid precursors in the bone marrow. 

Vitamin A has essential roles in vision, bone and muscle growth, reproduction and maintenance of healthy epithelial tissue. Naturally occurring precursors of vitamin A are found in some seeds, leafy green vegetables and forages such as lucerne. The common form of the precursor is p-carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A in the intestinal wall. Carotene is present in considerable quantities in pasture, lucerne hay or meal, and yellow maize. Carotene and vitamin A are rapidly destroyed by exposure to air, light and rancidity, especially at high temperature. Since it is difficult to assess the amount of vitamin A present in the feed, diets should be supplemented with this vitamin. 

To assess the impact of exercise on the needs for specific nutrients, nutrient functions must be evaluated. At a generalized level, the functions of nutrients are (a) growth or maintenance of the structures of the body (one can consider either macro-structures like muscles and bones, or micro-structures like cell membranes and enzymes), (b) fuels for the energy to run the body processes, (c) fluids and regulation of body fluids, and (d) protection from toxic substances including toxic chemicals, carcinogens, and antigens. 

A needed for normal vision, reproduction, and maintenance of healthy skin, mucous membranes, bones, red blood cells, cell differentiation, and im-mune fimction night blindness, xerophthalmia, loss of appetite, increased susceptibiHty to infections, skin disorders, poor growth, defective reproduction regression of precancerous lesions, reduces measle-associated morbidity in children... 

Foods may contain precursors of vitamin D as well as vitamin D. The precursors are converted to the vitamin following their absorption from the diet. T c body is a source of one of the precursors, 7-dehydnocholesteroL Conversion of the precursor to the vitamin form occurs in the skin. The major function of vitamin D is to maintain the concentration of calcium ions in the plasma. Maintenance of these concentrations is vital for normal functioning of the nervous system and for the growth of bones and the maintenance of bone mass. Although vitamin D is closely associated with bone growth, it is thought that the relationship is only indirect. T he vitamin stimulates the absorption of dietary calcium by the gut, but it seems not to stimulate the subsequent deposit of calcium in the bone. 

Vitamin D is used in the maintenance of plasma calcium ion concentrations. The normal level of free calcium ions in the plasma ranges from 1,0 to 1.5 mM. This concentration is needed to support a rxormal rate of deposit of calcium In bone during growth and during bone turnover. Apparently, vitamin D has no direct effect on the deposit of calcium ions in bone. It seems to act only indirectly and in maintaining plasma calcium at a level required to support bone mineralization. Note, however, that there remains interest in the possibility that vitamin D does have a direct effect on the cells that synthesize bone. A few details on bone formation and structure and on the vitamin D-dependent process of bone resorption are presented here. 

Phosphorus has more known functions in the animal body than any other mineral element. Together with calcium, phosphorus plays a major role in the formation of bones and teeth, as well as eggshells. It is a component of nucleic acids, which control cell multiplication, growth and differentiation. In combination with other elements, phosphorus has a role in the maintenance of cellular osmotic pressure and the acid-base balance. Energy transfer processes in all living cells involve interconversion of the phosphate-containing nucleotides, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and ATP, and thus phosphorus participates in all biological events. Other roles include its presence in phospholipids, where it functions in cell-wall structure, fatty acid transport and protein as well as amino acid formation. 

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