Bone Builder
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. The chemical symbol for calcium is Ca. In the elemental makeup of the human body, calcium ranks fifth after oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Calcium makes up about two percent of adult body weight. Calcium in the body rises from an average of 24 grams at birth to about 1300 grams (about three pounds) at maturity.
During the 20 or so years of growth, an average of 180 mg of calcium needs to be added to the bones each day. In the maximum growth period of life (ages 10 to 17), 300 mg of calcium need to be added to the bones each day. Calcium is an essential nutrient that has a vital role in nerve and muscle function. Calcium assists with enzyme processes and blood clotting. One of the most obvious roles of calcium in the body is to provide rigidity to bones.
The mineral component of bones consists mainly of hydroxyapatite crystals, which are made of calcium and phosphate. The hydroxyapatite crystals are embedded in collagen. Most of the calcium in the body, about 99 percent, is found in the bones and teeth. Only one percent is found in the blood and soft tissue. Calcium must be maintained in the bloodstream within a narrow range of concentrations. This is so important to survival that the body will remove calcium from bones to keep the blood concentration constant.
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Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. The chemical symbol for calcium is Ca. In the elemental makeup of the human body, calcium ranks fifth after oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Calcium makes up about two percent of adult body weight. Calcium in the body rises from an average of 24 grams at birth to about 1300 grams (about three pounds) at maturity.
During the 20 or so years of growth, an average of 180 mg of calcium needs to be added to the bones each day. In the maximum growth period of life (ages 10 to 17), 300 mg of calcium need to be added to the bones each day. Calcium is an essential nutrient that has a vital role in nerve and muscle function. Calcium assists with enzyme processes and blood clotting. One of the most obvious roles of calcium in the body is to provide rigidity to bones.
The mineral component of bones consists mainly of hydroxyapatite crystals, which are made of calcium and phosphate. The hydroxyapatite crystals are embedded in collagen. Most of the calcium in the body, about 99 percent, is found in the bones and teeth. Only one percent is found in the blood and soft tissue. Calcium must be maintained in the bloodstream within a narrow range of concentrations. This is so important to survival that the body will remove calcium from bones to keep the blood concentration constant.
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