Fundamentals of Intracellular Calcium

The definitive text on the key component for cell functions--intracellular calcium
 
This comprehensive book reveals the evidence for intracellular calcium as a universal switch in all animal, plant, fungal and microbial cells. It shows how the components required for calcium signaling are named and classified; covers the technology that has been developed to study intracellular calcium; describes how calcium is regulated inside cells and how it works to trigger an event; explains the role of intracellular calcium in disease, cell injury, and cell death; reveals how many drugs work through the calcium signaling system; and demonstrates how intracellular calcium is involved in the action of many natural toxins. The book also illustrates how the intracellular calcium signaling system has evolved over millions of years, showing why it was crucial to the origin of life. Additionally, the book promotes the importance of the molecular variation upon which the intracellular calcium signalling system depends.
 
Featuring more than 100 figures (including detailed chemical structures as well as pictures of key pioneers in the field), a bibliography of some 1000 references, and a detailed subject index, this definitive work provides a unique source of scholarship for teachers and researchers in the biomedical sciences and beyond.
* Emphasizes two key scientific principles--the first to show how intracellular Ca^2+ acts as a switch, to activate a wide range of cellular events, and the second demonstrating how an analogue mechanism can be superimposed on such a process
* Written by an internationally recognized expert in the field
* Filled with images and references to facilitate learning
 
Fundamentals of Intracellular Calcium is an all-important text for post-graduate students and researchers working in biomedicine and biochemistry. It is also essential for undergraduate lecturers and their students in physiology, medicine, pharmacy, and the biosciences.

List of contents

About the Author xvii
 
Preface xix
 
List of Acronyms xxiii
 
About the Companion Web Site xxxv
 
1 Calcium is Special 1
 
1.1 Calcium and Everyday Events 1
 
1.2 Discovery of Calcium 2
 
1.3 A Natural History of Calcium 3
 
1.3.1 Calcium by the Sea 3
 
1.3.2 Calcium in Your Wake-Up Call 4
 
1.4 The Elements of Life 5
 
1.5 Natural Occurrence of Calcium 7
 
1.5.1 Isotopes of Calcium 7
 
1.5.2 Geology of Calcium 7
 
1.5.3 Calcium Outside Cells 8
 
1.5.4 Calcium Inside Cells 10
 
1.6 Requirement of Cells for Ca2+ 12
 
1.6.1 Calcium in External Fluids 12
 
1.6.2 Requirement of Cell Types for Calcium 12
 
1.7 The Four Biological Roles of Calcium 13
 
1.7.1 Structural 13
 
1.7.2 Electrical across Biological Membranes 13
 
1.7.3 Extracellular Cofactor 14
 
1.7.4 Intracellular Regulator 14
 
1.8 The Puzzle about Ca2+ Inside Cells 17
 
1.9 How Important Intracellular Calcium has been in Science 18
 
1.10 Darwin and Intracellular Ca2+ 19
 
1.11 The Scene Set 21
 
1.12 'Ja Kalzium, das ist alles!' 21
 
1.13 Calcium - The Fundamentals 22
 
Recommended Reading 23
 
Books 23
 
Reviews 23
 
Articles 23
 
2 Intracellular Calcium - Principles 25
 
2.1 Ca2+ and the Concept of Cell Signalling 25
 
2.1.1 Primary Signals and Intracellular Ca2+ 25
 
2.1.2 The Source of Intracellular Ca2+ 27
 
2.2 The Problem 29
 
2.3 Some Key Questions 29
 
2.3.1 Question 1 - What is the Primary Stimulus and Secondary Regulator(s)? 29
 
2.3.2 Question 2 - What is the Intracellular Signal? 30
 
2.3.3 Question 3 - How do the Secondary Regulators Work? 30
 
2.4 Types of Intracellular Ca2+ Signal 31
 
2.4.1 Category of Cell Based on the Ca2+ Signal 31
 
2.4.2 Types of Ca2+ Signal 32
 
2.4.3 Ca2+ Sparks, Puffs and Sparklets 33
 
2.5 Rubicon Principle 34
 
2.5.1 Digital Versus Analogue Cell Events 34
 
2.5.2 The Ca2+ Signaling Toolkit 36
 
2.5.3 Amplification Mechanisms 36
 
2.6 Key Experiments to Answer Key Questions 38
 
2.6.1 Raising Cytosolic Free Ca2+ Artificially 38
 
2.6.2 Measurement of Free Ca2+ in Live Cells 38
 
2.6.3 How the Ca2+ Signal is Generated 39
 
2.6.4 Identifying the Ca2+ Target 39
 
2.6.5 How Binding of Ca2+ to its Target Causes the Cell Event 39
 
2.6.6 How the Cell Returns to Rest 40
 
2.7 Nomenclature - How Things are Named 40
 
2.7.1 English and Etymology 40
 
2.7.2 Organisms 41
 
2.7.3 Acronyms, Cells and Biochemistry 41
 
2.7.4 Genes 42
 
2.7.5 Proteins and Protein Sequences 43
 
2.7.6 Enzymes 43
 
2.7.7 Ion Channels 44
 
2.7.8 Agonists and Antagonists 47
 
2.7.9 Chemicals 47
 
2.7.10 Toxins 48
 
2.7.11 Drugs 48
 
2.7.12 Ca2+ Indicators 49
 
2.7.13 Units 50
 
2.8 Model Systems 50
 
2.9 Darwin, Wallace and Intracellular Ca2+ 51
 
2.9.1 Natural Selection in Real Time 51
 
2.9.2 Small Change by Small Change 52
 
2.10 New Knowledge 54
 
2.11 Conclusions 55
 
Recommended reading 55
 
Books 55
 
Reviews 55
 
Papers 56
 
3 A Century plus of Intracellular Ca2+ 57
 
3.1 Background 57
 
3.1.1 Pathway of Discovery and Invention for Intracellular Ca2+ 57
 
3.1.2 Model Systems 58
 
3.2 Why Study the History of Science? 59
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About the author

Anthony K. Campbell, PhD, FLS, FLSW is Professor in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University. He has studied intracellular calcium for over 40 years, and is a world authority on bioluminescence, developing the use of genetically engineered bioluminescence to measure chemical processes in live cells, particularly Ca²⁺. One of his inventions, using chemiluminescence, is now used in several hundred million clinical tests per year worldwide. He has published 9 books, and over 250 internationally peer-reviewed papers on intracellular calcium, bioluminescence, lactose and food intolerance, and Darwin.

Summary

The definitive text on the key component for cell functions--intracellular calcium

This comprehensive book reveals the evidence for intracellular calcium as a universal switch in all animal, plant, fungal and microbial cells. It shows how the components required for calcium signaling are named and classified; covers the technology that has been developed to study intracellular calcium; describes how calcium is regulated inside cells and how it works to trigger an event; explains the role of intracellular calcium in disease, cell injury, and cell death; reveals how many drugs work through the calcium signaling system; and demonstrates how intracellular calcium is involved in the action of many natural toxins. The book also illustrates how the intracellular calcium signaling system has evolved over millions of years, showing why it was crucial to the origin of life. Additionally, the book promotes the importance of the molecular variation upon which the intracellular calcium signalling system depends.

Featuring more than 100 figures (including detailed chemical structures as well as pictures of key pioneers in the field), a bibliography of some 1000 references, and a detailed subject index, this definitive work provides a unique source of scholarship for teachers and researchers in the biomedical sciences and beyond.
* Emphasizes two key scientific principles--the first to show how intracellular Ca^2+ acts as a switch, to activate a wide range of cellular events, and the second demonstrating how an analogue mechanism can be superimposed on such a process
* Written by an internationally recognized expert in the field
* Filled with images and references to facilitate learning

Fundamentals of Intracellular Calcium is an all-important text for post-graduate students and researchers working in biomedicine and biochemistry. It is also essential for undergraduate lecturers and their students in physiology, medicine, pharmacy, and the biosciences.

Product details

• Authors: Ak Campbell, Anthony K Campbell, Anthony K. Campbell
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.10.2017
• EAN: 9781118941874
• ISBN: 978-1-118-94187-4
• No. of pages: 464
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Chemistry; Chemie, Biochemie, Medizin, Pharmakologie, Life Sciences, Kalzium, Biowissenschaften, chemistry, Zell- u. Molekularbiologie, Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical Medicine, Cell & Molecular Biology, Pharmakologie u. Pharmazeutische Medizin, Medical Science, Biochemie u. Chemische Biologie, Biochemistry (Chemical Biology)