Calcium pump Calcium pump Calcium pumps are a family of ion transporters found in the cell membrane of all animal cells. They are responsible for the active transport of calcium out of the cell for the maintenance of the steep Ca electrochemical gradient across the cell membrane. Calcium pumps play a crucial role in proper cell signalling by keeping the intracellular calcium concentration roughly 10,000 times lower than the extracellular concentration. Failure to do so is one cause of muscle cramps. The plasma membrane Ca ATPase and the sodium-calcium exchanger are together the main regulators of intracellular Ca concentrations. Ca has many
Calcium metabolism This process is known as the sliding filament model of muscle contraction. The plasma "total calcium" concentration is in the range of 2.2-2.6 mmol/L (9-10.5 mg/dL), and the normal "ionized calcium" is 1.3-1.5 mmol/L (4.5-5.6 mg/dL). The amount of total calcium in the blood varies with the level of plasma albumin, the most abundant protein in plasma, and therefore the main carrier of protein-bound calcium in the blood. The biologic effect of calcium is, however, determined by the amount of "ionized calcium", rather than the total calcium. It is therefore the plasma ionized calcium level which is tightly regulated to