To understand why calcium is so important for bones, let's look at how our skeleton is structured. The bulk of bone matter (about 70%) is made up of salts of various minerals, among which calcium plays a leading role. It is thanks to it that our skeletal system has such a high density and strength, which makes it a truly reliable support for the entire body. Phosphorus plays an equally important role in this process, helping the main bone mineral to acquire its main osteo-forming form - calcium phosphate.
The rest is made up of organic compounds. And here collagen is the undisputed leader. Figuratively speaking, if calcium for bones is a kind of concrete, then the above-mentioned protein is its reinforcement base. Forming a thinnest, but unusually strong framework, collagen makes the bone more monolithic, helping it to withstand enormous loads and resist mechanical impact. Simply put, without collagen, our bones would break from the slightest pressure or impact. Lipids help bind these two substances together. They attract calcium ions, helping it to attach to the collagen network.
How is calcium absorbed and why is it retained in bones?
But how is calcium absorbed, and what helps this mineral to be laid down in bone tissue? These questions are the key to understanding the mechanisms of formation of our skeletal system. To begin with, it should be understood that calcium, like any chemical element, in its pure form is not able to be absorbed by the body, and therefore needs reliable assistants. These primarily include magnesium and phosphorus. Without them, this mineral is basically not able to be retained in the body.
Fatty acids also play a significant role in the absorption of calcium. However, their excess is also extremely undesirable, since it can provoke the production of so-called calcium soaps - ballast compounds that are not absorbed in the small intestine. And, of course, we cannot fail to mention the main conductor of calcium - vitamin D, which increases the absorption of bone mineral by 30-40%.
However, all of the above and a number of other substances help calcium only become active, capable of performing its biological functions. Through a branched network of blood vessels, this mineral is delivered to all body systems, and it is most in demand, as is easy to understand, by bone tissue. However, calcium for bones is a welcome, but still a guest and cannot independently participate in the processes of osteogenesis.
This legal right belongs to young bone cells osteoblasts, which are assigned the role of builders of our skeleton. In the total bone mass, their content seems quite insignificant, but they are responsible for filling the bones with calcium. Taking the osteoforming mineral from the bloodstream, these cells then push it into the intercellular space (bone matrix), that is, they actually wall themselves up in it. In this calcium sarcophagus, osteoblasts grow and strengthen, eventually becoming full-fledged bone cells - osteocytes.
Why is calcium washed out of bones?
But why is calcium washed out of bones if, as mentioned above, it is the basis of our skeleton and is securely enclosed in it? According to the immutable law of nature, any living tissue needs regular renewal, otherwise it will begin to deteriorate and eventually die. Bones are no exception in this case.
The life cycle of each osteoforming cell is only 4 months. After the death of osteocytes, their main antagonists, osteoclasts, are included in the work. Their main task is to destroy old bone tissue in order to prepare the environment necessary for the birth and further development of osteoblasts. At the same time, osteoclasts utilize not only the remains of dead osteocytes, but also the decayed areas of the bone matrix, by dissolving mineral salts and destroying the collagen network.
Under normal conditions, the space vacated by the grave-digging cells is immediately occupied by newborn osteoblasts. Maintaining this balance is the key to the health of the skeletal system. But what happens if this well-structured system is disrupted one day? The cessation of the production of new osteoblasts will lead to the fact that the niches formed after the destruction of dead tissue will simply have nothing to fill. This is how osteoporosis occurs, which is one of the three deadly diseases.
As we remember, calcium for bones is nothing more than a building material, which means that it itself cannot fill the voids that have arisen in bone tissue. Here is the answer to the question of why calcium is washed out of bones - the body has practically no tools left to retain it and use it for its intended purpose.
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