Calcium is on of the most important substances in the mammalian system. We are all most familiar with calcium as being part of bones and teeth, but calcium exists in other parts of the body as well. Along with potassium, magnesium, and sodium, it forms part of the essential bioelectrical circuitry of the human body. These systems are called pumps and one such pump is the calcium pump that works together with the sodium calcium exchanger system. This pump regulates cellular signaling. The brain communicates with the rest of the body using bioelectricity transmitted through nerves but beyond this, cells also communicate with each other in a process called cellular signaling and this is performed by the transmission of calcium and sodium ions.
Calcium exists in an ionic state for signaling and also as its regular, natural molecular state as well. It is in this molecular state that it is used for the creation of bone and causing calcification. Calcification is a process that occurs in regular soft tissues due to a variety of reasons and is also something that occurs with age. The levels of calcium that are available in the blood are fixed by a hormone secreted by the parathyroid gland called calcitonin. This hormone ensures that the amount of calcium in the blood stays between 8.4-10.5 mg/dL. If this level drops, then calcitonin will pull out calcium from the bones and in free stores in cells but if the levels are too high then it will cause excretion of the element. Bones are biggest stores of calcium in the body and the creation of bone occurs through two cells osteoblasts that create bone and osteoclasts that degrade it. When bone is required to be created, the osteoblasts will sequester calcium from the blood and use it to create bone. One the other side, osteoclasts will cause bone to dissolve back into the blood from areas where it is not required. This process is similar to sculpting.
One of few problems that can occur in the body without adequate calcium is the inability of muscles to contract properly because of the degradation of cellular signaling. It is because of this mechanism that calcium-blocking medications like sublingual nifedepine are used in the initial stages of Achalasia. This is a disease where the esophageal sphincter is permanently in a contracted state. Using a calcium blocker will cause the contraction to stop.