Calcium is essential for survival because it plays critical roles in key bodily functions, particularly enabling muscle movement and nerve communication.
Essential Functions of Calcium
While calcium is primarily known for its role in building strong bones and teeth, where almost all of the body's calcium is stored, its importance extends far beyond structural support. Your body needs calcium for vital processes that directly contribute to survival.
Structural Foundation
- Almost all calcium in the body is stored in bones and teeth, giving them structure and hardness. This provides the skeletal framework necessary for movement and protecting vital organs.
Critical for Movement and Communication
Beyond structure, calcium is indispensable for the dynamic functions that keep us alive and functioning:
- Your body needs calcium for muscles to move. This includes not just voluntary movements like walking and lifting but also involuntary muscle actions essential for life, such as the beating of your heart.
- Calcium is also crucial for nerves to carry messages between your brain and every part of your body. This neural communication system allows us to react to our environment, control bodily processes, and perform cognitive functions.
Without sufficient calcium, these fundamental systems – muscle contraction and nerve signaling – would fail, making survival impossible.
In summary, while stored in bones for structure, the vital, moment-to-moment reasons we need calcium to survive include its roles in facilitating muscle movement and enabling nerve communication throughout the body.
