Edited

Calculi is plural for calculus and refers to a mass of hardened material resulting from mineral salts. Calculi is one of the terms used to describe calcified gallstones. Calcification is the result of an accumulation of calcium in tissue. Calcium is a mineral salt. These terms are defined in the first two links below.

In the third link you will find (if you read it!) the chemical composition of cholesterol stones. Among other things it lists calcium. If the calcium content is significant in a cholesterol stone it will become calcified...hence hard and sometimes tan or white...and be readily visible on ultrasound.

While calculi does not mean calcium...and I never claimed it did!...calculi has everything to do with calcium!

If you are going to request scientific data you should...at the very least...acquaint yourself with the terminology.

*Oh BTW...since you are dissecting pigs to gather information about stone formation...I have run several google searches in an attempt to determine if pigs even develop gallstones. I have yet to find one single reference stating that they do. However, I did come across a study that tested the ability of a chemical solution to dissolve gallstones. In this study, HUMAN Gallstones were implanted into pig gallbladders and then the pigs were administered the solution being tested.

Hmmm...I wonder why they didn't test the solution on pigs with gallstones?! Perhaps they had to implant HUMAN Gallstones in the pigs because just maybe PIGS don't get gallstones?!!!

Here's the abstract:

Invest Radiol. 1987 Mar;22(3):201-5.

Dissolution of Gallstones using cholecystostomy tube in the pig.

McGahan JP, Lee LL, Tesluk H, Nyland TG, Ruebner B, Schmidt B.

Cholecystostomy catheters and human cholesterol gallstones were implanted surgically in the gallbladders of eight pigs. Through the catheters, mono-octanoin or sterile water (H2O) was infused from two to seven days. The mono-octanoin dissolved pure cholesterol gallstones smaller than 200 g. There was no stone dissolution with infusion of sterile water and only one stone larger than 250 g was dissolved with mono-octanoin. Side effects included moderate-to-severe inflammation and ulceration of the gallbladder with mono-octanoin instillation, which precludes its widespread use with the present treatment regimen. Infusion of water caused little gallbladder irritation.

PMID: 3557894 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ©†ƒ……•™¼‡_Original_Message_¾€š½ž¢«»¬ï°©

Calculi is plural for calculus and refers to a mass of hardened material resulting from mineral salts. Calculi is one of the terms used to describe calcified gallstones. Calcification is the result of an accumulation of calcium in tissue. Calcium is a mineral salt. These terms are defined in the first two links below.

In the third link you will find (if you read it!) the chemical composition of cholesterol stones. Among other things it lists calcium. If the calcium content is significant in a cholesterol stone it will become calcified...hence hard and sometimes tan or white...and be readily visible on ultrasound.

While calculi does not mean calcium...and I never claimed it did!...calculi has everything to do with calcium!

If you are going to request scientific data you should...at the very least...acquaint yourself with the terminology.

*Oh BTW...since you are dissecting pigs to gather information about stone formation...I have run several google searches in an attempt to determine if pigs even develop gallstones. I have yet to find one single reference stating that they do. However, I did come across a study that tested the ability of a chemical solution to dissolve gallstones. In this study, HUMAN gallstones were implanted into pig gallbladders and then the pigs were administered the solution being tested.

Hmmm...I wonder why they didn't test the solution on pigs with gallstones?! Perhaps they had to implant HUMAN gallstones in the pigs because just maybe PIGS don't get gallstones?!!!

You can read the abstract of this study in the fourth link I have provided.

http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/english/Ca/Calculi.html
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/c/calcification/basics.htm
http://gastroresource.com/GITextbook/en/chapter13/Default.htm

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