sentences:  Calcium (Ca2+) is often considered part of the BMP, though, by definition, it is not part of the CHEM-7.A basic metabolic panel including calcium is sometimes colloquially referred to as a "CHEM-8".Calcium, as an alkaline earth metal, is also an electrolyte, but abnormalities are more commonly associated with malnutrition, osteoporosis, or malignancy, especially of the thyroid.