The Nature of the Role of Calcium in Secretion

Abstract

In considering the nature of calcium’s action in the secretory process, one must first ascertain how the secretory product is transferred from the site of storage to the extracellular fluid. Since endocrine tissues are much easier to study by biochemical methods than nervous tissue, it has been possible to define the nature of the secretory process in certain endocrine organs with the aid of advanced biochemical and morphological techniques. Studies employing such techniques have established that hormones in most glands are stored in membrane-bound granules, so it seems reasonable to consider that the secretory granules are not just inert stores of hormone but play an active role in secreting the hormones from the cell.