Importance of Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Calcium regulates many cellular processes and has important structuralroles in living organisms. Skeletal muscle structure and function, polymerisation of fibrin and the conduction of impulses in thenervous system are regulated by calcium. Calcium is an important intracellular messenger in protozoa, plants, and animals. Calciumtransportingsystems which are located in the plasma membrane and in the organelles, regulate the ionic concentration of calciumin various compartments according to the different demands of the physiological cycle and these systems upregulate calcium entryby the action of several hormones and calcium binding proteins. Opening of calcium influx channels increases the cytosolic calciumconcentrations but high calcium concentrations are toxic to the cell. Because of this toxicity; calcium is rapidly removed from thecytosol by calcium pumps and exchangers. Changes in cytosolic calcium concentrations cause a wide range of cellular responses.Cellular calcium is known to play an important role in apoptosis and the accumulation of calcium can induce various apoptoticpathways in the cell. Maintenance of the cellular calcium homeostasis has various benefilÕs for human health and the deficiency ofcalcium causes many pathological conditions.