Calcium (Ca) is divalent cation which, in the physiology of vertebrates, has structural and metabolic role.

The structure of the roles depends on its participation in the skeleton contraction, and it is involved in many intercellular processes such as: muscular construction, translation of the nerve impulse, secretion of hormones, glycogen metabolism and cell division. An adult has around 1kg of calcium in the body, (99%) of which are mostly concentrated bones and the rest of it is arranged in extracellular fluid and soft tissue. There are around 25 mmol of calcium in the extracellular fluid, 7.5 mmol of that amount is in the blood. The concentration of calcium in plasma is maintained in narrow limits that are from 2.20 to 2.60 mmol/L; calcium in plasma is arranged in three basic fractions: attached to proteins, ionized and complexly attached to the anions. A part of calcium (40%) which is attached to proteins is not diffusible, which means that it does not pass through membrane of blood capillarity. The largest part of the calcium which is attached to proteins is attached to albumin and only 20% of it is complexly attached to globulins. Because of that, in all impairments where albumin is reduced, total calcium is reduced too and that is mostly because of the fraction attached to proteins. Averagely 10% of the albumin bounds around 0.2 mmol of calcium, so that patients who suffer from hipoalbuminemia have to correct values of calcium. The rest amount of calcium which is not bounded to the albumin represents diffusible calcium and 10% of that is complexly bounded to different anions (bicarbonate, phosphate, sulfate, citrate, lactate), and around 50% is of ionized shape which is physiologically active , but important for functioning of heart, nerve system and bond formation. The range of normal concentration of ionized calcium in adults is from 1.16 to 1.32 mmol/L ( Spasic et al. . 2003) Phosphorus (P) is a mineral that human body uses in order to absorb proteins and sugars. And also it helps in calcium absorption. People who do not have enough phosphorus in their body could lose weight, feel weakness and have problems in body growth. Food which contains phosphorus in large amounts are milk products (for example milk and cheese), meat, egg yolk, corns and hazelnuts. People who consume alcohol in large amounts often have less phosphorus in their body. An adults body has approximately 700g or 1% of total body mass. Around 85% of total amount of phosphorus is in bones in the form of hydroxyapatite with calcium. In the form of phosphate it has an important role for Aleksandra Jovic

structure and function of all cells. Phosphorus in cells is in the form of free phosphate ion and as an integral component of nucleic acids, nucleotide, phospholipid and some proteins. It is the building part of different phosphoric products of metabolism and phosphate esters. Phosphorus fraction which is an integral component of macromolecules is defined with a term organic phosphorus, and of crucial importance is its role in energy transfer. In blood phosphor can be found as non-organic and organic, whereby the non-organic is uniformly spaced inside the plasma and erythrocytes while the organic can be found more in blood cells. Non-organic phosphor is present in plasma in form of the primary H2PO4- and the secondary H2PO4-, whose correlation varies depending on the pH of the blood. When pH=7,4 the correlation HPO42-/HPO4- is 4:1, and with the increase of pH, value of this correlation increases. Concentration of the non-organic phosphor in the blood plasma of the adult is about 0, 6 to 1,2mmol/L. Children, until the age of 17, have the concentration of phosphor from 1, 3 to 2,8mmol/L. Around 15% of the nonorganic phosphor in plasma is bounded for proteins, and the rest of it is in the free form of this anion, that is diffusible complexes. Daily need for phosphor of the adult is from 2, 5 to 3g. An everyday diet contains 2-3 times more phosphor, so that its deficit in diet is practically impossible. Important factor for the utilization of the phosphorus compounds which are imported through diet is the correlation between the calcium and phosphor in the food (the most favorable correlation is 1:1, 5). If this correlation is disrupted, then it comes to the reduction of phosphor absorption due to the possibility for sedimentation of phosphate in the form of insoluble complex of calcium and phosphor. Functions of the phosphor are: it participates in the ossification process, it is building component of many organic compounds, it is the constituent part of macro energetic compounds included in energy deposition and transmission, it participates in biosynthesis of some coenzymes of vitamin kind (thiamin pyrophosphate, pyridoxal-phosphate), it participates in phosphorylation reactions, it participates in the regulation of 1-hydroxylase 25(OH)2-vit D, ratelimiting enzyme in the synthesis of calcitriol, as the main anion of intracellular fluid it participates in the maintenance of osmotic cell pressure in the form of potassiumphosphate and it is included in the composition of phosphate buffer (Dimic, M. 2005). Aleksandra Jovic