INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM Meaning and
Definition
-
Intracellular calcium refers to the presence and concentration of calcium ions within the interior of a cell. Calcium ions (Ca2+) play crucial roles in numerous cellular processes and are considered to be one of the most important secondary messengers within cells. They are involved in signal transduction, which is the process by which extracellular signals are converted into intracellular responses.
Intracellular calcium levels are tightly regulated by a complex interplay between calcium influx from the extracellular environment and calcium efflux through various ion channels and pumps. The concentration of calcium ions is selectively controlled by specific proteins located in the cell membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria.
Changes in intracellular calcium levels can trigger various cellular responses, such as muscle contraction, secretion of hormones and neurotransmitters, cell growth and proliferation, and gene expression. Intracellular calcium signaling is also crucial for regulating neuronal excitability, synaptic transmission, and plasticity, which are essential for proper brain function.
Disruptions in intracellular calcium homeostasis have been implicated in several diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular disorders, and various types of cancer. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms governing intracellular calcium dynamics and developing effective therapeutic strategies to modulate its levels is of great importance in biomedical research and drug development.
Common Misspellings for INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM
- untracellular calcium
- jntracellular calcium
- kntracellular calcium
- ontracellular calcium
- 9ntracellular calcium
- 8ntracellular calcium
- ibtracellular calcium
- imtracellular calcium
- ijtracellular calcium
- ihtracellular calcium
- inrracellular calcium
- infracellular calcium
- ingracellular calcium
- inyracellular calcium
- in6racellular calcium
- in5racellular calcium
- inteacellular calcium
- intdacellular calcium
- intfacellular calcium
- inttacellular calcium
Etymology of INTRACELLULAR CALCIUM
The word "intracellular" comes from the combination of the prefix "intra-" which means "within" or "inside", and the word "cellular", which refers to something related to cells.
The word "calcium" comes from the Latin word "calx", which means "lime" or "limestone". It was named so because calcium is a major component of limestone.
