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Sodium-Potassium Ion Pump definitions

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  • Sodium Potassium Ion Pump
    A membrane protein maintaining cellular gradients by moving sodium out and potassium in, powered by ATP hydrolysis and phosphorylation.
  • P-type ATPase
    A class of enzymes that use ATP hydrolysis to transport ions across membranes, involving phosphorylation of an aspartic acid residue.
  • Plasma Membrane
    A cellular boundary that separates internal and external environments, hosting ion pumps to regulate gradients.
  • Electrical Gradient
    A difference in charge across the cell membrane, with the inside typically more negative than the outside.
  • Chemical Gradient
    A concentration difference of ions across the membrane, crucial for cellular function and maintained by ion pumps.
  • Sodium
    A cation with higher concentration outside cells, exported by the sodium potassium ion pump to maintain gradients.
  • Potassium
    A cation with higher concentration inside cells, imported by the sodium potassium ion pump to sustain cellular function.
  • Antiport
    A transport mechanism moving two different ions in opposite directions across a membrane.
  • ATP Hydrolysis
    A process where ATP is split to release energy, driving ion transport in the sodium potassium ion pump.
  • Phosphorylation
    The addition of a phosphate group to a protein, triggering conformational changes in ion pumps.
  • Aspartic Acid Residue
    A specific amino acid site on the pump where phosphorylation occurs, enabling ion transport.
  • Conformational Change
    A structural shift in a protein, allowing the release or uptake of ions during the pump cycle.
  • Gradient
    A difference in concentration or charge across a membrane, essential for cellular processes.
  • Extracellular
    The space outside the cell membrane, characterized by high sodium and low potassium concentrations.
  • Intracellular
    The space inside the cell membrane, characterized by high potassium and low sodium concentrations.