What is a calcium ion?

A calcium ion is the metabolically active portion of calcium. It is indicated as Ca2+. It is not stable in nature. Calcium ions are vital to cell function. They play a crucial role in several physiological processes including muscle contraction, enzyme activation, synaptic transmission, exocytosis, and ciliary motility. None of these processes can occur in the absence of calcium ions. Disruption of intracellular Ca2+ can result in apoptosis and cell death. 

Indo-1, Fura-2, Fluo-3 and Rhod-2 have been the most valuable dyes for measuring Ca2+.  In recent years, AAT Bioquest has introduced the most robust calcium probes: Fluo-8®, Cal-520® and Calbryte™ 520 all of which enable high throughput screening of GPCR and calcium channel drug discovery targets by monitoring calcium flux. FLIPR® and FlexStation® instruments of Molecular Devices, FDSS®/?Cell of Hamamatsu and NOVOstar of BMG Technologies have further accelerated the high throughput measurement of calcium for GPCR and ion channel research.