It is now known that variations in extracellular calcium concentration exert diverse physiologic effects in a variety of tissues that are mediated by a calcium-sensing receptor (CaSRs). In parathyroid tissue, the CaSR represents the molecular mechanism by which parathyroid cells detect changes in blood ionized calcium concentration, modulate parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion accordingly, and thus maintain serum calcium levels within a narrow physiologic range. In the kidney, the CaSR regulates renal calcium excretion and influences the transepithelial movement of water and other electrolytes. More generally, activation of the CaSR represents an important signal transduction pathway in intestine, placenta, brain, and perhaps bone. Some of these actions involve cell cycle regulation, changes that may be relevant to understanding the pathogenesis of parathyroid gland hyperplasia in secondary hyperparathyroidism caused by chronic kidney disease. The CaSR represents an appealing target for therapeutic agents designed to modify parathyroid gland function in vivo, offering the prospect of novel therapies for selected disorders of bone and mineral metabolism. Other receptors capable of responding to extracellular calcium ions also have been identified, but the functional importance of these interactions remains to be determined.