Calcium
hideCalcium (pronounced /ˈkælsiəm/) is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft grey 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, particularly 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 bones and shells, calcium is the most abundant metal by mass in many animals.
For more information about Calcium, read the full article at
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News tagged with calcium
Commentary warns of unexpected consequences of proton pump inhibitor use in reflux disease
Nov 03, 2009 |
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Despite being highly effective and beneficial for many patients, unexpected consequences are emerging in patients who are prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for reflux diseases. Physicians are warned to monitor these ...
Epilepsy drugs could treat Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 27, 2009 |
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Researchers in the USA have discovered a potential new function for anti-epileptic drugs in treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The study, published in BioMed Central's open access ...
Ocean acidification may contribute to global shellfish decline
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 26, 2009 |
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Relatively minor increases in ocean acidity brought about by high levels of carbon dioxide have significant detrimental effects on the growth, development, and survival of hard clams, bay scallops, and Eastern ...
Novel findings shed light on how N-type channel function is modified by lipids
Oct 26, 2009 |
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The November 2009 issue of the Journal of General Physiology (JGP) contains two papers by the Rittenhouse laboratory that describe novel findings on how N-type voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) function is modified by lip ...
Seafloor Fossils Provide Clues on Climate Change
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Oct 22, 2009 |
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Deep under the sea, a fossil the size of a sand grain is nestled among a billion of its closest dead relatives. Known as foraminifera, these complex little shells of calcium carbonate can tell you the sea ...
General anesthetics lead to learning disabilities in animal models
Oct 22, 2009 |
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Studies by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have shown that blocking the NMDA receptor in immature rats leads to profound, rapid brain injury and disruption of auditory function as the animals mature.
Scientists Use Self-Assembly to Make Molecule-Sized Particles With Patches of Charge
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Oct 20, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Physicists, chemists and engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated a novel method for the controlled formation of patchy particles, using charged, self-assembling molecules ...
Thyroid surgery safe for older patients, study finds
Oct 19, 2009 |
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Thyroid surgery is safe for older patients, say physicians who found only slight differences in rates of complications and hospital readmissions in a multi-year study.
Researchers reveal mechanism for neuron self-preservation
Oct 19, 2009 |
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Tsuruta et al. find that a lipid kinase directs a voltage-gated calcium channel's degradation to save neurons from a lethal dose of overexcitement. The study appears in the October 19, 2009 issue of the Journal of ...
A new understanding of why seizures occur with alcohol withdrawal
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 17, 2009 |
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Epileptic seizures are the most dramatic and prominent aspect of the "alcohol withdrawal syndrome" that occurs when a person abruptly stops a long-term or chronic drinking habit. Researchers have shown that the flow of calcium ...
Growing greener greens
Oct 02, 2009 |
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A pioneering project to make our green vegetables even better for us has been launched by scientists at The University of Nottingham. The research will underpin future technological developments in agriculture that could ...
Calcium scans may be effective screening tool for heart disease
Sep 30, 2009 |
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A simple, non-invasive test appears to be an effective screening tool for identifying patients with silent heart disease who are at risk for a heart attack or sudden death. Coronary artery calcium scans can be done without ...
German scientists produce first Bose-Einstein condensate with calcium atoms
Sep 22, 2009 |
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Physicists at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (Germany) have succeeded in producing a Bose-Einstein condensate from the alkaline earth element calcium. The use of alkaline earth atoms creates new ...
New report shows rising tide of fractures in Asia
Sep 22, 2009 |
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A new audit report issued by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) today shows that osteoporosis is a serious and growing problem throughout Asia.
Calcium channels optimize learning
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Sep 18, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Switzerland, have shown how calcium channels in the brain have a positive impact on learning. Their results have been ...
