Things you need to know about calcium

Calcium is the most common ingredient in nature. Indeed, calcium is an essential component of all living organisms and there are many in abiotic organisms, such as soil and water. Teeth, shells, bones and stalactites are all products of calcium.

According to Live Science, the interesting thing is, calcium seems to always be in fifth place : This is the fifth most abundant element in the earth's mass (after oxygen, silicon, aluminum and iron); is the 5th most soluble ion in seawater (after sodium, chloride, magnesium and sulfate); and is the fifth most abundant element in the human body (after oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen). However, calcium is the most abundant metallic element in the human body, 99% of calcium is found in bones and teeth.

In its pure state, calcium is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal . But it is important to note that c anxi is never found in this "isolated" pure state in nature, but it exists in compounds. Calcium compounds can be found in many minerals, including limestone (calcium carbonate), gypsum (calcium sulfate) and fluorite (calcium fluoride). Calcium accounts for about 4.2% of the Earth's crust.

To extract pure calcium, one must extract by electrolysis, a technique that uses direct electricity to separate elements from their natural source. Once separated, calcium reacts and forms gray-white oxide and nitride when exposed to air.

Calcium (Ca) ranks 20th in the periodic table of elements, just below magnesium in the same column (group IIA) as other alkaline earth metals (the group of metals has a higher chemical reaction than most other metals). Calcium originates from the Latin "calx" (ash remains after calcination), meaning lime.

Calcium-rich foods include dairy products - like milk, cheese and yogurt.

In 1808, the chemist and inventor Sir Humphry Davy of Cornwall (England) was the first to successfully break down calcium. Once successfully isolated calcium, scientists can continue to study and discover its importance to the survival of all living organisms.

Calcium data

1. Atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus): 20
2. Atomic symbol (in the periodic table of elements): Ca
3. Atomic mass (average mass of atoms): 40,078
4. Density: 1.55 grams per cubic centimeter
5. At room temperature: solid
6. Melting point: 1,548 degrees F (842 degrees C)
7. Boiling point: 2.703 degrees F (1484 degrees C)
8. Number of isotopes (atoms of the same element have different number of neutrons): 24;5 stable

Essential elements

Calcium is very important to the human body. Not only important for bones and teeth, calcium also supports muscle movements by making messages from the brain to all parts of our body. Cells in all living organisms need to communicate, or "signal" , together. Calcium ions act as messengers between cells and are essential in all multicellular life forms. Calcium also supports the release of hormones and enzymes.

In food, calcium is found in the form of minerals. Calcium-rich foods include dairy products - like milk, cheese and yogurt - and some vegetables like kale, watercress, spinach and broccoli. To absorb, calcium needs to be absorbed with vitamin D. Magnesium is also needed for the assimilation and use of calcium in the body. In fact, if we lose too much calcium and not enough magnesium, the body will have many problems.

Calcium is the most abundant metallic element in the human body.

Do you know?

Lime, or calcium oxide, will produce light when exposed to oxyhydrogen flame. In the 1800s, before the invention of electricity, calcium oxide was used to illuminate the stage, helping real actors like performing "in the spotlight".

Stalactites and stalagmites in underground caves, formed gradually over time by the accumulation of calcite deposits. This occurs when water seeps through cracks in the ceiling of a limestone cave, dissolving and carrying traces of calcite, a major component of limestone. When the water drops from the ceiling, this calcite residue begins to be created at dripping water points, eventually leading to stalactites hanging from the ceiling. The water drips from the stalactites and then forms stalagmites on the ground below.

Many nutritionists recommend that the human body should have a calcium-magnesium ratio of 2: 1. Although our bodies need lots of calcium, we are still more likely to be deficient in magnesium. This is because our bodies tend to store and recycle calcium, while magnesium is used or emitted and must be supplemented daily.

Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in many antacids, such as Tums and Rolaids. Alkaline compounds that work by neutralizing stomach acid are the causes of heartburn and indigestion.

Good soil must have enough calcium

Calcium is not only necessary for human life, but also an essential nutrient for plant growth. In most soil types, calcium is available to plant species through mineral weathering. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium plays an important role in soil pH control, a measure of soil acidity or alkalinity.

Calcium can indirectly affect many biological processes sensitive to soil pH, such as decomposition, mineral nitrogen and nitrification.

Calcium is found in most types of soil. Calcium levels are found in arid and semi-arid areas. Some plants have adapted to soil rich in calcium and alkalinity, and are called calcicoles (species that grow on lime soil). In contrast, calcifuges are plants that thrive in areas with low calcium and acidity.

Foods high in calcium.

Problems can occur when there is a pH imbalance in the soil. Excess calcium can lead to too high pH (over 7), or alkalinity, and this sometimes reduces the solubility of nutrients such as phosphates and many micronutrients, which may limit plant growth. . However, a larger problem will occur when soil has too little calcium, causing soil acidification. This can happen when calcium is filtered out of the soil due to heavy rain or even more dangerous than acid rain.

During the 1970s and 1980s, acid rain was a major problem affecting many forests in northeastern America and Europe. When acid rain occurs, protons of strong acids in acid rain replace calcium cation, and calcium is filtered out of the soil.

Use calcium

Calcium compounds have many uses, especially in creating construction materials. Gypsum, or calcium sulfate, is also used to make gypsum, a heavy white powder that, when mixed with water, hardens, can create broken bones.

Limestone, or calcium carbonate, is used directly as a construction material and indirectly used for cement. When limestone is heated it releases carbon dioxide, leaving lime (calcium oxide). When lime is mixed with water, it produces slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) used to make cement. My lime is also used as a soil conditioner and a water treatment agent to reduce acidity.