Calcium in Human Biology

1. Chemistry and Biochemistry of Calcium.- Evolutionary Aspects of Calcium.- Chemical Properties.- Extracellular Calcium.- Intracellular Calcium.- Calcium as a Second (or Third?) Messenger.- Calcium Ionophores.- Calcium Antagonists.- Calcium in Other Living Organisms.- 2. Calcium-Regulating Hormones: Vitamin D.- Structure and Synthesis.- Vitamin D Formation in Skin.- Metabolism of Vitamin D.- Regulation of Vitamin D Metabolism.- Vitamin D Function.- Vitamin D Deficiency.- 3. Calcium-Regulating Hormones: Parathyroid Hormone and Calcitonin.- Parathyroid Hormone.- Parathyroid Hormone and the Kidney.- Actions of Parathyroid Hormone on Bone.- Effects in Other Tissues.- Mechanism of Action of Parathyroid Hormone.- Calcitonin.- Physiology of Calcitonin.- 4. Calcium-Regulating Hormones: General.- Adrenal Corticosteroids.- Thyroid Hormone.- Hormones of the Anterior Pituitary Gland.- Insulin.- Sex Steroids.- 5. Gastrointestinal Absorption of Calcium.- Calcium Absorption.- Active Calcium Transport.- Development Aspects.- Analysis of Whole Animal Absorption Studies.- Altering Calcium Absorption.- Therapeutic Considerations.- 6. Renal Excretion of Calcium.- Calcium Excretion.- Form and Measurement of Calcium in Urine.- Expression of Urinary Calcium.- Variation in Daily Calcium Excretion.- Renal Excretion of Calcium.- Regulation of Plasma Calcium by the Kidney.- Hypercalciuria.- Diseases Affecting Urinary Calcium.- 7. Calcified Tissues: Chemistry and Biochemistry.- Introduction: Composition of the Calcified Tissue.- Comparative Histogenesis of the Calcified Tissues.- Calcification Mechanisms.- Remodelling.- Conclusions.- 8. Calcified Tissues: Cellular Dynamics.- Primary Bone Formation.- Postnatal Development of Bone.- Internal Reorganization.- Metabolic States Mainly Characterized byAltered Bone Turnover.- Metabolic States Mainly Characterized by Disturbed Osteoid Mineralization.- Metabolic States Mainly Characterized by a Reduction in Bone Mass.- 9. Calcified Tissues: Structure-Function Relationships.- Macroanatomy.- Age-Related Changes in Bone Mass.- Age-Related Fracture and Osteoporosis.- Bone Mass and Risk of Fractures.- Identification of Those at Risk for Fractures.- Treatment of Osteoporosis.- 10. Calcium in Extracellular Fluid: Homeostasis.- Plasma Calcium Homeostasis.- Effects of Non-nutritional Factors on Plasma Calcium Homeostasis.- Effects of Nutritional Factors on Plasma Calcium Homeostasis.- 11. Calcium as an Intracellular Regulator.- Intracellular Calcium and Cell Behaviour.- The Cell Biology of Intracellular Calcium.- The Evidence for Calcium as an Intracellular Regulator.- How to Measure Free Calcium in Living Cells.- The Source of Intracellular Calcium for Cell Activation.- How Calcium Acts.- The Pathology of Intracellular Calcium.- Pharmacology of Intracellular Ca2+.- Perspectives.- 12. Cellular Calcium: Muscle.- Historical Survey of Calcium Research in Muscle.- Troponin.- Myosin-Linked Regulation.- Ca2+ Regulation in Smooth Muscle.- Actomyosin in Non-muscle Tissue.- Excitation-Contraction Coupling.- Ca2+ Control of Metabolic Processes in Muscle.- Calcium Antagonists.- 13. Cellular Calcium: Nervous System.- Regulation of Intracellular Calcium in Nerve Cells.- Physiological Role of Intracellular Calcium in Nerve Cells.- Summary and Conclusions.- 14. Cellular Calcium: Secretion of Hormones.- Evidence that Calcium Participates in Secretion.- Calcium Fluxes in Endocrine Cells.- Targets for Cytosolic Ca2+.- Concluding Remarks.- 15. Cellular Calcium: Action of Hormones.- Control of Intracellular Calcium.- Modulation of Intracellular Free Ca2+ Concentrations.- Calmodulin and Other Calcium-Binding Proteins.- The Phosphoinositide Cycle.- G Proteins Linking Receptors to Enzyme Activation.- Phospholipase C Activation and Phosphoinositide Second Messengers.- Hormone-Stimulated Ca2+ Fluxes.- Diacylglycerol and Protein Kinase C.- Physiological and Biochemical Responses to Ca2+- Mobilizing Agonists in Selected Systems.- Epilogue.- 16. Cellular Calcium: Cell Growth and Difentiation.- Extracellular Calcium and Cellular Calcium Requirement.- Intracellular Calcium and Calcium Influx.- Calmodulin and Other Calcium-Binding Proteins.- Calcium and Cyclic Nucleotides.- Phospholipid and Protein Phosphorylation.- Calcium and Immune Function.- Oncogenes and Growth Factors.- Bone Cell Differentiation.- Calcium-Regulating Hormones.- Calcium Deficiency and Neoplasia.- Summary.- 17. Dietary Requirements for Calcium.- Calcium Absorption.- Calcium Excretion.- Effects of Calcium Deficiency.- Calcium Requirements and Recommended Allowances.- Comparison with Current Intakes and Recommended Allowances Worldwide.