In the year 1808 calcium was discovered by Humphrey Davy. On the periodic time table it is in row 2 which are alkaline earth metals. The atomic number is 20. The atomic mass is 40.078. The symbol for calcium is Ca. Calcium is a silver-white crystalline metal. Which is harder than lead. It can be cut, drawn, rolled, and turned.
Calcium is found in many chemical compounds, such as marble, chalk, limestone, Iceland spar, calcite, aragonite these are carbonates. One of the major uses of calcium is the refining of iron, steel, copper and copper alloys. Calcium is used to deoxidize these metals.
Calcium is one of the most abundant alkaline earth metals in the earth’s crust. The only other abundant alkaline earth metal is magnesium. These are the most commercially important members of this family of metals.
Carbonates are one of the largest groups of minerals. One of these is called calcite, or calcium carbonate. Large, transparent crystals, of calcite, are called Iceland spar, which is used in polarizing microscopes and optical instruments because it is capable of producing double refraction of light because it is a chemically pure clear calcite.
Calcium flouride, or flourite is sold commercially as flourspar. These are rare, clear crystals and are used in making lenses and prisms for optical systems used with ultraviolet light.
Calcium is also an essential component of bones, teeth, shells and plants. Plants and animals must have calcium to live. If a person does not have enough calcium the bones are prevented from developing properly. Without the proper amount of calcium the bones can thin and soften making them more able to fracture. This condition is called osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the twelfth leading cause of death in the United States. Osteoporosis can go on for twenty to thirty years before it is found, or it may appear without warning as the bones may break with a simple fall. A person may begin to shrink in size and develop painful curvatures of the upper spine. This is called dowager’s hump. Women are more susceptible to this condition.
Good food sources of calcium for humans include dairy products, canned sardines and salmon, broccoli, kale, and mustard and turnip greens. Calcium supplements can be taken if a person does not get enough calcium from the foods they eat. Other sources of calcium include yogurt, green leafy vegetables and collard and dandelion greens.
Calcium is also very important for the blood in your body to clot properly. It also helps to regulate the ions in and out of cells and aids muscle contraction. Calcium is a macromineral. The body requires large amounts of calcium in order to function properly. A person should take in at least one thousand to fifteen hundred milligrams of calcium a day. Some forms of supplements are calcium carbonate, calcium lactate and calcium gluconate.
In conclusion calcium is a mineral that has many uses. Calcium has uses in the body and it also is used in refining.

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