Question on PTH vs calcitonin (GS test 2)

[TheMightyTexan]

Questions #35

The parathyroid hormone increases blood calcium. At the end of the paragraph, they state that overactive parathyroid glands, hyperparathyroidism can lead to an increase in the level of calcium in plasma and tissues. The answer to the question essentially states that increased PTH results in reducing calcification of bones and tissues.

Im confused, i understand that TPH and calcitonin work antagonistically, but they stated that there is an increased amount of calcium in the tissues as well. How could there be an increased level of calicum in bone tissue with out calcification occurring? And other tissues as well, wouldnt an increased amount of calcium result in calcification of other tissues as well or does is calcification only in bone tissue due to increased osteoblast activity.

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[justadream]

@TheMightyTexan

PTH results Calcium being lost from the bone (the opposite of Calcification I think). It goes into the blood. I assume that because the blood Calcium level goes up, the tissue blood level will also go up.

 

[DrDreams]

did they specifically say high amounts of calcium in bone tissue? just curious.

 

[TheMightyTexan]

@justadream yeah that makes sense...as i kept going through the GS tests i realized there is just alot of ambiguity in the biology section that i guess i will have to not get hung up on and waste time with now :/ was going to make a thread asking about how relevent their bio is...all i know is that the current test should be experimental but as an overall AAMC trend i dont see very much ambiguity so something like this should not come up hopefully..

@DrDreams no they never said high amounts just increased level of calcium, and they also did not say bone tissue, which im wondering if that was just a subtle trap.. i guess in the answer they did say bones and tissues implying the tissues they were talking about were not bone tissue.

Ahh w.e F it thanks though!

 

[DrDreams]

Yea, because physiologically, if you have too much PTH, you increase plasma calcium concentration. Which in turn the plasma Ca2+ supplies the tissues of the body, this doesn't include bone. It is for muscles and the like.

HOWEVER, despite calcitonin causing deposition of bone, elevated PTH would cause a net flux resorption of bone. That is how I would think of it.