calcium

A detailed Summary of calcium

Healthy bones have tensile and compressional strengths, similar to that of reinforced concrete. Besides providing structural support for the muscles and internal organs, bones also act as a reservoir for important minerals and elements such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, fluoride and sodium. Of these minerals, calcium is the most important for providing the essential bone infrastructure. In addition, bones play an integral role in the overall homeostatic control of calcium in the body (1). Approximately 97 to 99 percent of the body's calcium stores are found in bone.

Bones, being dynamic tissues, are constantly changing their structure as a result of the result of the opposing processes of deposition and resorption. This process is called remodeling (2). Osteoblasts are responsible for the deposition, or growth, of bones, and osteoclasts account for resorption, or breakdown. When bones start to resorb, the osteoclasts secrete proteolytic enzymes and acids that create small tunnels in the bone's internal structure. If the tissue is healthy and capable of growth, eventually osteoblasts will fill in these tun

As an individual grows, their bone mass increases. Maximum bone mass is attained between age 25 and 30. Beyond 30, especially in women, and also as a result of other factors such as drugs and diseases, bones can weaken and become more susceptible to fractures. By age 40, most individuals will start to lose bone mass. With increasing lost of bone mass, osteoporosis occurs. Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which bone tissue is normally mineralized, but the amount of bones is decreased and the structural integrity of trabecular bone is impaired (3). Cortical bone becomes more porous and thinner. This makes the bone weaker and more likely to fracture. Hence, according to the 1999 recommendations from the National Academy of Science (4), calcium should be given to women and men who have osteoporosis or who are at risk of getting it. The mechanistic details of the effects of calcium on the skeleton are complex. Calcium alters the bone-related hormones and possibly the lo!

Using pharmacological calcium doses to treat osteoporosis results in parathyroid hormone suppression, which in turn decreases bone loss (1).

Some common words found in the essay are:
Academy Science, , parathyroid hormone, bone mass, calcium absorption, tubular reabsorption, calcium absorption enhanced, bone remodeling, calcium reabsorption, calcium absorbed, magnesium phosphorus, absorption enhanced, hormone vitamin,

Approximate Word count = 758
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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calcium

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