Christine Jan V. Sibbaluca
A36 - BSN1 - SET4
3 Important Ions and Their Important Roles in the Human Body
1. Sodium - Sodium helps control blood pressure and regulates the function of
muscles and nerves.
 Blood Pressure Control - Sodium is dissolved in the blood and plays a key role in
maintaining blood pressure. Sodium attracts and holds water, so the sodium in the
blood helps maintain the liquid portion of the blood.
 Muscle and Nerve Function - Both muscles and nerves require electrical currents
to function properly. Muscle and nerve cells generate these electrical currents by
controlling the flow of electrically charged molecules, including sodium. For
muscle cells, these electrical currents stimulate contraction of the muscle. Nerves,
on the other hand, need electrical activity to communicate with other nerves.
Cells use molecular pumps to keep sodium levels outside the cell high. When an
electrical current is needed, cells can allow the positively charged sodium ions
into the cell, generating a positive electrical current.
2. Calcium - Calcium is one of the most vital minerals required by the human body. Our
body combines Calcium with other minerals to form hard crystals that give our bones
strength and structure. Almost 99% of our body’s Calcium is found in the bones.
Calcium is also required for muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling,
and hormonal secretion.
 Calcium makes bone strong - Calcium is instrumental in the formation and
metabolism of bone. Calcium is found in the form of Calcium hydroxyapatite in
bones and teeth that provides hardness to the bone and teeth. Bones also serve as
a reservoir and source of Calcium for other Calcium-dependent functions
throughout the body.
 Regulates muscle contraction - Calcium stimulates numerous Calcium-dependent
signaling pathways that regulate muscle contraction in skeletal and cardiac
muscle. It triggers muscle contraction by reacting with muscle fiber actin and
myosin. In the presence of Calcium, actin and myosin come closer resulting in
muscle contraction. In the absence of Calcium, actin and myosin do not interact
thereby resulting in relaxation of the muscle.
 Calcium is involved in neuronal signaling - Calcium is essential to neurons as it
participates in the transmission of the neuronal signals by triggering the release of
neurotransmitters stored in the nerve cell. Neurotransmitters are the chemical
messenger that transmits signals from one neuron to another.
 Calcium prevents excessive blood loss - Calcium along with Vitamin K helps in
the clotting of blood and preventing the excessive flow of blood. Calcium is an
integral part of cascade reactions involved in blood clotting
 Calcium protects us from skin conditions - Calcium ions (Ca2+) in the epidermis are
essential in regulating keratinocyte differentiation and skin barrier formation.
Christine Jan V. Sibbaluca
A36 - BSN1 - SET4
Impaired keratinocytes(cells of the epidermis) differentiation and dysfunctional skin
barrier can be the primary causes of inflammatory skin conditions.
 Potassium - Potassium is the major intracellular cation. It helps establish the resting
membrane potential in neurons and muscle fibers after membrane depolarization
and action potentials. In contrast to sodium, potassium has very little effect on
osmotic pressure. The low levels of potassium in blood and CSF are due to the
sodium-potassium pumps in cell membranes, which maintain the normal potassium
concentration gradients between the ICF and ECF. The recommendation for daily
intake/consumption of potassium is 4700 mg. Potassium is excreted, both actively
and passively, through the renal tubules, especially the distal convoluted tubule
and collecting ducts. Potassium participates in the exchange with sodium in the
renal tubules under the influence of aldosterone, which also relies on basolateral
sodium-potassium pumps.