Followers

Calcium and Muscle Contraction

Posted by Blog Saturday, March 5, 2011

Calcium plays a vital role in muscle contraction. Skeletal muscle cells have calcium channels in their cell membranes that respond to nerve impulses for contraction. When a nerve gives a signal to a muscle cell to contract, the calcium channels in the cell membrane open, allowing a few calcium ions into the muscle cell.

Once inside the cell, the calcium ions attach to activator proteins in the cell, as seen in Figure 9-2. The activator proteins in the cell trigger the release of large numbers of calcium ions from storage inside the cell. These released calcium ions bind to a protein, troponin-c, leading to muscle contraction. To assist the contraction, calcium also binds to another protein, calmodulin. Calmodulin helps release blood.




Figure 9-2 Calcium enables muscle contractions.


sugar from storage to fuel the contraction. Calcium channels are used by many cells for cell signaling.




More about Calcium:

Calcium

Bone Remodeling

Calcium and Muscle Contraction

How Calcium Is Regulated in the Blood

Deficiency of Calcium

Calcium and Osteoporosis

Food Sources of Calcium

Calcium Supplements

Calcium Toxicity



0 comments

Post a Comment

A to Z