Calcitonin is a secreted protein which belongs to the calcitonin family. Calcitonin is cleaved into the following two chains: Calcitonin and Katacalcin. Katacalcin is a potent plasma calcium-lowering peptide. Calcitonin is a 32-amino acid linear polypeptide hormone. Calcitonin acts to reduce blood calcium (Ca2+), opposing the effects of parathyroid hormone (PTH). Its importance in humans has not been as well established as its importance in other animals, as its function is usually not significant in the regulation of normal calcium homeostasis. Calcitonin causes a rapid but short-lived drop in the level of calcium and phosphate in blood by promoting the incorporation of those ions in the bones.
