The need for tissue engineering
Osteoporosis
The importance of calcium
- Over 99% of the body's Ca is in the form of hydroxyapatite
- In addition to supporting the body the skeleton is a storage depot for Ca
- Ca can be added to or removed from the skeleton to keep the blood level at the correct value
- Half the serum Ca is ionized (divalent cation), the rest is bound to proteins
- Secretion of hormones into blood and release of transmitters in synapses requires proper level of ionized serum Ca
- Contraction of skeletal and heart muscle requires flow of ionized Ca into cytoplasm
- Ca is also one of the second messengers