Presented by Zia H Shah MD

Abstract

Calcium – the element that fortifies our bones and teeth – was forged in the hearts of ancient stars billions of years ago. Through spectacular supernova explosions, this vital element was scattered across the cosmos and eventually incorporated into planet Earthimagine.gsfc.nasa.govvice.com. Eons later, life on Earth evolved to harness calcium for building hard structures: from the first mineralized shells in the sea to the sturdy bones of vertebrates. Today, calcium’s journey continues as it nourishes our bodies through diet, especially via the milk that mammals produce. This article explores how calcium was made and delivered to our world, why it is so crucial for our skeletal system, and how it reaches us through food – all framed as part of God’s amazing providence. Blending cutting-edge science with theological reflection (with a special emphasis on Islamic teachings), we see how cosmology, evolution, and biology intertwine in a grand narrative that many believers view as evidence of a purposeful Divine design.

Calcium in the Cosmos: Forged in Star Furnaces

It is a staggering fact of modern science that every atom of calcium in our bodies was created in a star. In the very early universe (the Big Bang), only the lightest elements like hydrogen and helium formed. Heavier elements – including life-essential elements such as carbon, oxygen, iron, and calcium – were synthesized later inside stars. As famed astronomer Carl Sagan said, “we are made of star stuff,” and astrophysics confirms this. Massive stars act as elemental factories, fusing lighter atoms into heavier ones in their hot coresimagine.gsfc.nasa.gov. Calcium, for instance, is produced during the late stages of a heavy star’s life when helium and other elements fuse in its core. Eventually, these stars reach a crisis point; when fusion can no longer sustain them, they die in cataclysmic explosions known as supernovae. In those final moments, an immense burst of energy creates and ejects even more heavy elements. Scientists estimate that about half of all the calcium in the universe – including the calcium in our teeth and bones – was created by dying stars that exploded as supernovae, scattering calcium-rich debris into spacevice.com.

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