Calcium Calcium Calcium is a chemical element with symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to its heavier homologues strontium and barium. It is the fifth most abundant element in Earth's crust and the third most abundant metal, after iron and aluminium. The most common calcium compound on Earth is calcium carbonate, found in limestone and the fossilised remnants of early sea life; gypsum, anhydrite, fluorite, and apatite are also sources of calcium. The
N-type calcium channel having a role in the transmission of nociceptive information in the body. A new drug, Ziconotide, is being tested to alter N-type channels in order to treat these conditions of chronic pain. One of the newest medicines is an analgesic drug that works through targeting N-type calcium channels specifically in order to lessen the transmission of pain. Peptide ɷɷ-conotoxins are what bind to the N-type calcium channels in order to block ion permeation, which then blocks the influx of calcium and the transmission of the nociceptive responses. Neurons located in the posterior horn of the spinal cord experience ɷɷ-conotoxins that,