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Calcium - a life and death signal

One of the most versatile and universal signalling agents in the human body is the calcium ion, Ca2+. How does this simple ion act during cell birth, life and death, and how does it regulate so many different cellular processes?

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Figure 1: Spatial aspects of Ca2+ signalling.
Figure 2: Compartmentalization of Ca2+ signals in neurons.

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Berridge, M., Bootman, M. & Lipp, P. Calcium - a life and death signal. Nature 395, 645–648 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/27094

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