Effect Of Calcium On Muscle And Nerve Function

Calcium is very important for muscle and nerve function. There are two important glands that work to keep the calcium levels within the blood balanced: the thyroid and the parathyroid glands. When the body has low blood calcium levels the parathyroid gland will act and secret PTH which will activate osteoclasts. The osteoclasts will help break down the bone and release the calcium from the bones to the blood stream. While it will also activate vitamin D which will help increase the absorption of calcium from the kidneys and intestines. Therefore, the body will keep the calcium in the blood instead of throwing it out through urine or stool. If the case was the opposite and the blood calcium level was too high, then the thyroid gland will produce calcitonin a hormone that helps build the bones by releasing calcium from the blood stream into the bones. That way the release of calcium to the bone will decrease the calcium in the blood. Calcitonin also helps calcium to leave the body through urine. In resume, we can say that the endocrine system, the cardiovascular system, and the digestive system are involved in bone calcium regulation. If homeostasis could not be maintained and one of these glands could not do its job this could lead to diseases; including osteoporosis. If the body is releasing too much calcium from the bones and cannot be regulated that could cause the bones …show more content…
There are several medications and foods to help the intake of calcium to the body but it wouldn’t be a permanent solution because the bone will keep releasing calcium if the system is not