Extracellular fluid calcium

Calcium is the fifth most abundant element on earth and the principal extracellular divalent cation in the human body. A healthy, 70-kg adult contains 1-1.25 kg of calcium (25-33 g/kg of fat-free tissue), while a 3.5-kg newborn contains about 25 g of calcium. About 95-99% of body calcium is in the skeleton as hydroxyapatite crystals. The remainder is in the extracellular fluid and is exchangeable with that in periosteal fluid, bone-forming surfaces, and soft tissues. Skeletal calcium is slowly exchangeable with extracellular fluid calcium, and the skeleton is thus a reservoir of calcium. The steady-state extracellular and periosteal fluid concentrations of calcium depend, in large part, on the balance between bone formation and bone resorption, which are regulated by hormones. 

C signal transduction pathway. Secretion of calcitonin is stimulated by hypercalcemia but the effect of the hormone on calcium transport appears to be secondary to increased phosphate uptake by target cells. The number and activity of osteoclasts are decreased, and urinary excretion of hy-droxyproline is decreased, Calcitonin may also inhibit release of calcium from the extracellular fluid calcium pool, but it increases calcium and phosphate excretion by renal tubules. Some tubular cells respond to calcitonin, PTH, and vasopressin, while others respond only to one or two of these hormones. In general, the actions of calcitonin in kidney and in bone are antagonistic to those of PTH. Calcitonin decreases secretion of gastrin and of gastric acid, and inhibits bile flow. 

Fig C-5. Factors involved in calcium metabolism. To maintain a constant extracellular fluid calcium concentration, calcium is excreted through the kidneys and gut when the concentration increases or is recruited by increased absorption from the gut or resorption from the skeleton when the concentration decreases these movements of calcium are regulated by the endocrine system. Calcium is also lost through sweating pregnancy, and lactation. 

As stated above, calcium is an extremely important cellular ion for several cellular functions. The concentration of calcium in human extracellular fluid is about 2.5 mM, while the intracellular concentration is only 100-200 nM depending on the cell type. Thus, there is 10 000-20 000 fold concentration difference between the cell interior and exterior that has to be maintained by cellular pumping mechanisms. This requires a large amount of energy. " ... 

The extracellular calcium Ca -sensing receptor plays a central role in maintaining a nearly constant level of extracellular calcium by sensing small changes in Ca and directly and/or indirectly altering the translocation of calcium ions into or out of the extracellular fluid so as to normalize CaQ+. Changes in the level of expression and/or function of the CaR reset the level of CaQ+. Recently developed activators (calcimimetics)... 

Around 99% of calcium is contained in the bones, whereas the other 1% resides in the extracellular fluid. Of this extracellular calcium, approximately 40% is bound to albumin, and the remainder is in the ionized, physiologically active form. Normal calcium levels are maintained by three primary factors parathyroid hormone, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and calcitonin. Parathyroid hormone increases renal tubular calcium resorption and promotes bone resorption. The active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, regulates absorption of calcium from the GI tract. Calcitonin serves as an inhibitory factor by suppressing osteoclast activity and stimulating calcium deposition into the bones. 

Source of calcium Sarcoplasmic reticulum Extracellular fluid (most) sarcoplasmic reticulum (some) Extracellular fluid (most) sarcoplasmic reticulum (some)... 

The action potential easily penetrates all regions of these small cells. Therefore, smooth muscle does not have transverse tubules. Furthermore, smooth muscle cells have very little sarcoplasmic reticulum, so intracellular storage of calcium is limited. Instead, the calcium needed for contraction is obtained primarily from the extracellular fluid. The influx of Ca++ ions through their channels in the cell membrane stimulates the release of a small amount of Ca++ ions from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. 

Calcium ions are actively pumped back into the extracellular fluid as well as the sarcoplasmic reticulum. When the concentration of calcium falls below... 

It is necessary to remember that as well as organic cross-links, elements such as boron, silicon and calcium cross-link all the major external proteins and saccharides even in the walls of prokaryotes. Many of the cross-linking binding sites are of oxidised side chains of biopolymers. As described in Section 8.10, certain of these elements form mineral deposits but now these minerals are frequently found inside the multi-cellular organisms. Here, we see a great difference between the chemo-types of plants and animals. The acidity of the extracellular fluids of plants differs from the neutral fluid of animals. It is not possible to precipitate calcium carbonates (shells) or phosphates (bones) in plants due to the weak acid character of these anions (see Table 8.12). Plants therefore precipitate silica and calcium... 

Ca2+ is necessary for transmission at the neuromuscular junction and other synapses and plays a special role in exocytosis. In most cases in the CNS and PNS, chemical transmission does not occur unless Ca2+ is present in the extracellular fluid. Katz and Miledi [16] elegantly demonstrated the critical role of Ca2+ in neurotransmitter release. The frog NMJ was perfused with salt solution containing Mg2+ but deficient in Ca2+. A twin-barrel micropipet, with each barrel filled with 1.0mmol/l of either CaCl2 or NaCl, was placed immediately adjacent to the terminal. The sodium barrel was used to depolarize the nerve terminal electrically and the calcium barrel to apply Ca2+ ionotophoretically. Depolarization without Ca2+ failed to elicit an EPP (Fig. 10-6A). If Ca2+ was applied just before the depolarization, EPPs were evoked (Fig. 10-6B). In contrast, EPPs could not be elicited if the Ca2+ pulse immediately followed the depolarization (Fig. 10-6C). EPPs occurred when a Ca2+ pulse as short as 1 ms preceded the start of the depolarizing pulse by as little as 50-100 (xs. The experiments demonstrated that Ca2+ must be present when a nerve terminal is depolarized in order for neurotransmitter to be released. 

The basic answer to this question is that ions move across the plasma membrane of the neuron. Recall that ions are charged particles, frequently derived from single atoms by the gain or loss of electrons. The ions that are most important to us in understanding nervous system function are sodium ion, Na+, potassium ion, K+, calcium ion, Ca +, and chloride ion, Cl . If we compare the concentrations of these ions on the inside of the neuron and in the extracellular fluid that bathes the neuron, we find the neuron interior has a higher concentration of potassium ion than does the exterior fluid. In contrast, the exterior fluid has higher concentrations of sodium, calcium, and chloride ions than does the neuron interior. These concentration differences are referred to as concentration gradients. 

A 60 kg adult contains 1000-1200 g of calcium more than 99% is in the bones and teeth. About 1 g is in the plasma and extracellular fluid and 6-8 g in the tissues, sequestered in calcium storage vesicles. The calcium concentration in the blood is about 2.5 mmol/L, about 50% as the free ion and the rest bound to plasma proteins. 

Plasma volume and the extracellular fluid space have been observed to constrict 30% during reducing diets (300-600 calories per day) (B22). These changes can be accompanied by functional impairment of glomerular filtration and hepatic perfusion with transient increases up to 2 mg/100 ml in serum creatinine and BSP retention up to 40% (B22). In rare instances a significant fall in serum calcium, magnesium, or potassium was observed. Hyperuricemia was also observed, with concentrations as high as 9 mg/100 ml (B22). 

Calcium chloride-To combat severe hyperkalemia pending correction of increased potassium in the extracellular fluid. 

Osteoclast. A large multinuclear cell associated with the absorption and removal of bone, osteoclasts become highly active in the presence of parathyroid hormone, causing increased bone resorption and release of bone salts (phosphoms, and especially calcium) into the extracellular fluid. Ovalbumin. An albumin obtainable from the whites of eggs. 

The transmitter is present throughout the cholinergic neurones and exists within the axon terminals in vesicles. About 1% of the vesicles are the readily releasable store that maintains transmitter release but more than 80% is in motor nerve endings in the releasable store, which is released in response to a nerve impulse. The remainder of ACh is in the so-called stationary store. The release of ACh may be spontaneous or in response to nerve impulses. Spontaneous release of ACh results in the production of random miniature endplate potentials. It is, however, in response to a nerve impulse that we see a large release of ACh provided there is adequate calcium present in the extracellular fluid. Evoked release of ACh usually results in the production of an endplate potential due to depolarisation of the motor endplate. 

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