The statement that is true of calcium is:
Essential for muscle contraction.
Calcium plays a crucial role in muscle contraction by facilitating the interaction between actin and myosin, the proteins involved in muscle movement.
The other statements are not accurate:
- Calcium is not found in the amino acids cysteine and methionine.
- Calcium is not used to make the phosphate tail of nucleotides; this is done by phosphate groups, which contain phosphorus, not calcium.
- While calcium can be found in some foods, it is typically obtained from dairy products, leafy greens, and fortified foods rather than specifically from protein-rich foods like meat, beans, and nuts.