How is mitochondria involved in regulating calcium???

[sundew773]

I can't find how mitochondria is involved in regulating calcium anywhere

So far we've discussed that mitochondria is involved with apoptosis, the proton motive force, and ATP synthase...does calcium fit in somewhere?

Much thanks!

[MrMistery]

Calcium is poison to the cell. Ca2+ ion has the highest gradient in the human body: it is 40000 times more outside the cell than inside. In extreme conditions, when there is too much Ca2+ in the cell, the mithocondria can accept Ca2+ ions. There are 4 transporters located on the membrane of the mithocondria for this purpose.
Nice question, it put my memory to work...

[sundew773]

Calcium is poison to the cell. Ca2+ ion has the highest gradient in the human body: it is 40000 times more outside the cell than inside. In extreme conditions, when there is too much Ca2+ in the cell, the mithocondria can accept Ca2+ ions. There are 4 transporters located on the membrane of the mithocondria for this purpose.
Nice question, it put my memory to work...

Thanks so much, that makes perfect sense!

[MrMistery]

Everything makes sense in biology, that's why it is so fun

[LrdGeno]

Isn't there something called a calcium - potassium pump? I think that's what it's called anyhow, and if that is the name I have no idea where it is in the body

[mith]

There's a sodium potassium pump

[Poison]

Nerve cells use Na-K pump.

[MrMistery]

Actually all cells have NA/K pumps. It's only that nerve cells use it all the time, they have much more of them. Actually 70% of the energy used by the neuron is used by the Na/K pump.
And no, there is no such thing as a calcium potasium pump.