Summary: | Calcium and comparable cations are fast being recognised for their role as vital components of animal physiology. When trying to answer questions such as why salmon can adjust to life in fresh water as well as seawater, or why chilli peppers taste hot to humans but evoke little response from chickens, we often find the answers lie in patterns of movement of these ions and their roles in sensing, transmitting and collecting messages. Bringing together scattered literature on calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium in biology, this book examines important biological contributions of these ions.
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