Calcium - 20Ca: biological information
Calcium is essential for all life. It forms part of cell walls and bones. It is important for blood clotting.
Levels in humans
The abundances of the elements in humans.
- Human abundance by weight: 14000000 ppb by weight
- Human abundance by atoms: 2200000 atoms relative to C = 1000000
How much calcium is in your body? Find out here.
You can use this form to calculate how much calcium your body contains. Enter your weight in either kilograms or pounds and click the "Calculate" button. You must enter a number, not text! Elements for which there are no data will always give a value of zero for the weight, no matter what you put in the weight box.
Hazards and Risks
Hazards and risks associated with calcium:
Calcium metal presents a fire hazard but its salts are relatively harmless.
References
- J.E. Huheey, E.A. Keiter, and R.L. Keiter in Inorganic Chemistry : Principles of Structure and Reactivity, 4th edition, HarperCollins, New York, USA, 1993.
- S. Budavari (Ed.) in The Merck Index, 11th ed., Merck, USA, 1989.
- N.N. Greenwood and A. Earnshaw in Chemistry of the Elements, 2nd edition, Butterworth, UK, 1997.