Abstract
The parathyroid glands are small glands that secrete parathyroid hormone, which controls serum calcium homeostasis. Calcium and phosphorus are the principal constituents of bone, and together they constitute approximately 65% of its weight. Bone, in turn, contains nearly all of the calcium and phosphorus and over half of the magnesium in the human body. Although quantitatively minor in amount, each of these ions in the extra-cellular fluid and within the cells plays a crucial role in normal physiological processes. In blood, approximately 50% of total calcium is bound to proteins, mainly albumin and globulins. The ionized calcium concentration in serum is approximately 5 mg/dL, and it is the fraction that is biologically active and tightly controlled by hormonal mechanism. This chapter illustrates absorption and excretion of calcium and discusses the components of Ca homeostasis, namely, parathyroid hormone, active vitamin D (calcitriol), and calcitonin, and their effects on bone, gastrointestinal tract, and kidneys.
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Sakr, M.F. (2022). Physiology of the Parathyroid Glands. In: Parathyroid Gland Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07418-9_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07418-9_5
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