Calcium Homeostasis: A Feedback Control Point of View

Dr. Mustafa Khammash, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University

In the technological and engineering sciences feedback control methods have been studied and applied extensively to man-made systems. In the biological sciences the mathematical approach to studying feedback mechanisms has not been as common. Considering that feedback mechanisms abound in biological systems, there is much to be gained in applying this point of view. In this talk, this point is demonstrated by examining the calcium regulation mechanism. For animals and humans, maintaining a constant concentration of calcium is crucial for proper nerve and muscle function. Normally, maintaining such concentrations is accomplished by an effective feedback control mechanism. At parturition, however, the sudden increased demand for calcium and the associated hypocalcemia can stress this system tremendously. The large deviations in the calcium concentration that develop cannot be properly understood without understanding the dynamics of the underlying feedback mechanism.

In this talk we will show that such an understanding can also be used in explaining the cause of parturient paresis, a common disease associated with calving in dairy cows.