The ancient pyramids are also built out of a calcium compound, gypsum. Limestone, which is primarily calcium carbonate, has been used to build statues and buildings since ~7000 BC. When and How was Calcium Discovered? The History of CalciumĬalcium compounds have been important in history for a long time. The product is calcium bicarbonate.įor some more specific uses, see the different calcium compounds listed below. The idea is to use limestone to react with the release of carbon dioxide and remove it from the air. Possible scrubbing systems at power plants utilize calcium in the form of limestone as the main tool. In addition, calcium compounds make the material used for teeth fillings and bone replicates. So many supplements and medicines include calcium in them. Therefore, calcium fertilizers assure proper minerals are supplied.Ĭalcium is a critical nutrient in the body. Calcium is also a messenger within the plant. Calcium is still being innovated with today to create new technologies as well.Īs a fertilizer, calcium compounds are important because plants use calcium in their cell walls. For example, it has already been shown that coral has a reduced ability to build its calcium carbonate skeleton.Ĭoral outcrop on Flynn Reef (Source: Wikipedia Commons) Calcium Applications in Today’s World What is calcium used for?Ĭalcium has many different uses ranging from fertilizer to health supplements to poisons to cement. This disrupts the equilibrium and is causing changes in creature’s calcium carbonate shells. However, as the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration is increasing, so is the concentration in the ocean ( increasing the acidity of the ocean). The bicarbonate comes from dissolved carbon dioxide in the water. The sea creature extracts calcium and bicarbonate from the ocean water to make the shell. Most of the shells in the ocean are made of calcium carbonate.

Calcium ions are present at about 410 ppm in the ocean.Ĭalcium is an important element for many sea creatures–coral, clams, oysters, and sea urchins to name a few. The calcium in the ocean can come from a variety of sources including rock weathering and soil erosion. The Element Calcium in the OceanĬalcium plays an important role in the ocean ecosystem. The same compound makes replacement bones. In our bones, calcium is in the mineral form hydroxylapatite (Ca 10(PO 4) 6(OH) 2), also known as calcium apatite. Bones and teeth contain 99% of the calcium in the body. Hormones in the gut, skeleton, and kidneys regulate calcium ions in the body.Ĭalcium is the foundation of bones and teeth. The large differential allows for high responsiveness to changes. Between the inside and outside of a cell, there is a large gradient of calcium (1:~10,000). In the body, calcium is often referred to as a ‘cellular messenger’. There are many diseases associated with too little or too much calcium, such as osteoporosis and hypertension. Biological Significance of CalciumĬalcium is an essential element in the human body. Calcium has two valence electrons and a very low electronegativity of 1. It has an electron configuration of 2s 2. It is in the fourth row of the periodic table, beneath magnesium. The Element Calcium in the Periodic TableĬalcium under argon atmosphere (Source: Wikipedia Commons)Ĭalcium, symbol Ca, is an alkaline earth metal in the second column of the periodic table. Calcium carbonate causes the lime build up around faucets when hard water is present.Due to its numerous natural compounds, calcium has been used since at least the Ancient Romans to build structures and statues.

The amount of calcium required for proper growth in many creatures varies dramatically across life stages.The most abundant inorganic element in the human body is calcium.Calcite is a form of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3) that makes up the stalagmites and stalactites in caves.That is where the term “in the limelight” comes from. At one point, the burning light lit theatres. Calcium oxide produces an intense light when burned under certain conditions.The body effectively absorbs calcium only when magnesium is also present.Calcium does not exist as a pure metal in the environment.The average human contains 1kg of calcium throughout their body.The name calcium comes from the Latin word for lime, “calx”.Calcium is also prevalent in our building materials and has been since early times. The element calcium is one of the most common elements worldwide and one of the most important. The Element Calcium Introduction to the Element Calcium

Calcium number on periodic table