Calcium lecture Flashcards
How much calcium is located in the bone?
99%
How much of the calcium in our bone is exchangeable with extracellular fluid calcium?
1%
How much of the calcium found in our blood is bound to protein? Which proteins can it bind to and what percentage binds to each protein?
50% protein bound 40%- albumin 10% globulin
Which form of calcium is biologically active in the blood? What percentage of total blood calcium does it account for?
Ionised calcium is biologically active 40% of ionsied calcium is foujd in the blood
What happens to ionised calcium levels in an acidic or alkalotic state? (respiratory)
Acidic- ionised calcium levels increase in plasma as less calcium is bound to albumin
Alkalosis- Plasma calcium levels decrease as more calcium is bound to albumin as H+ dissociates from albumin
During respiratory alkalosis caused by hyperventilation the patients lips can tingle, why does this occure?
mild hypocalcemia Small drop in calcium levels
List the 4 different mechanisms in which calcium acts as a signalling molecule
nerve and muscle automaticity muscle contraction neurotransmitter release1 endocrine/exocrine secretion
Where is most calcium found, intracellularly or extracellularly?
extracellularly
Where is most intracellular calcium found?
Mitochondria
What is the effect of hyper and hypo calcemia on action potentials in muscles and nerves?
Hypocalcemia- increases membrane permeability to sodium, therefore reducing the threshold potential for action potentials to fire in nerve and muscle Hyper- reduces the membrane potential permeability to sodium
State what happens in each of the numberd stages in this image of the cardiac action potential
4 – resting membrane, negative potential maintained by Na/K exchanger – 3 Na for 2 K
0- Opening of fast sodium channels – these channels are stabilised by extracellular calcium
1 – Early repolarisation as fast sodium channels close
2 - plateau phase: Na-Ca exchanger: Na in and calcium out, maintains positive potential
- Repolarisation – sodium and calcium channels close
What percentage of phosphate is found mineralised in bone?
85%
State the respective functions of extracellular and intracellular calcium
Intracellular- Signalling molecule for nerve and muscle automaticity; muscle contraction; neurotransmitter releas; endocrine/exocrine secretion
Extracellular- Main substrate for mineralisation of cartilage and bone
Cofactor for the enzymes of the coagulation cascadeIntracellular
Membrane excitablility
State the respective functions of extracellular and intracellular phosphate
Extracellular- Mine mineral
Intracellular- Structural
High energy bonds
Phosphorylation
How does the parathyroid cells sense and regulate calcium concentration?
Parathyroid hormone cheif cells have a calcium sensing recpetor. If calcium levels rise this will be sensed by the receptor and will turn of the release of PTH.
If calcium concentration is low the receptor is not activated and PTH release continues.
Which organ systems are targeted by the parathyroid hormone to increase the concentration of calcium and what effect does it have on each system?
Increases blood calcium concentration
- (KIDNEYS) Stimulates production of the biologically-active form of vitamin D (1,25 hydroxy vitamin D) within the kidney. Maximizes tubular reabsorption of calcium within the kidney. so So less calcium in urine. There will be increases excretion of phosphate
- (GUT) Active Vitamin D causes increased absorption of calcium (and phosphate) from the small intestine
- (BONE) Increased bone reabsorbtion of calcium and phosphate
How does the body obtain vitamin D?
Where is the Vitamin D stored?
When the vitamin D is needed what happens?
Sunlight absorbed by the skin
Fat cells
When vitamin D is needed hydroxylation occurs in the liver and kidneys turn the stored vitamin D into the active form called calcitriol
How does vitamin D increase calcium concentration in the blood? 2 methods
- facilitates the absorption of calcium from the small intestine
- enhances fluxes of calcium out of bone
Where is calcitonin made? What effect does it have on wthe body?
Made in the parafollicluar cells of the thyroid gland
Causes a reduction in the circulating levels of calcium. Secreted in responce to hypercalcemia
How does calcitonin reduce the concentration
In which biological molecules will you find phospahte?
In DNA and neucleotides
In signalling molecules such as ATP,AMP,ADP
What are the two main electrolytes which make up the bony matrix?
Calcium
Phosphate
If the kidneys are working and parathyroid hormone is acting to increase the concentration of calcium, would the concetration of phosphate be high or low? Explain why.
The concentration of phosphate will be low. This because in all the organ systems targeted by the parathyroid hormone to increase the concentration of calcium (gut, bone, kidney). The kidney is the only system which causes a reduction in the concentration of phsosphate. If the kidneys are working there action will “always win” and dominate so phosphate concentration will be low due to excretion from the kidneys as calcium is being reabsorbed in the tubules. This is becayse PTH inhibits NaPi transporters
This also applies if there is too little PTH. Calcium will fall and phosphate will rise.
Which condition can cause an abnormal increase in the concentration of vitamin D and how?
Granuloma dieases such as TB and sarcoid.
These produce the active form of vitamin D 1,25 Vitamine D
Which scan is used to detect abnormalities in the parathyroid gland?
Technetium-sestamibi scintigraphy
How is the parathyrioid processed and produced?
It starts off large and is broken down
PreproPTH is converted into proPTH in the rough ER. pro PTH is converted into PTH in the golgi apparatus before being stored in vesicles.
Where is the active part of the parathyroid hormone located?
N-terminal
What type of hormone is the parathyroid hormone?
Polypeptide hormone