Calcium Transport and Cell Function

Abstract: Calcium is now recognized as an important regulator of cell functions; some of the many areas of research into its role include defining the basic mechanisms by which it is transported, how it interacts with biological substances, new measurement techniques, and the problems of calcium regulation in the various disciplines of science. Biochemists, physiologists, pharmacologists and endocrinologists met at a conference to present technical papers and discuss the following topics: measurements by electron microprobe x-ray, electrodes, photoproteins, and ionization; transport by sarcoplasmic reticulum, accumulation in mitrochondria, uptake by fibroblast microsomes and regulation in presynpatic nerve endings; regulation of intracellular calcium; hormonal and metabolic interactions; and the impact of calcium on muscle contraction, vision, and secreting. The exchange of information will contribute to better understanding of the complex roles of calcium in the human body.