sodium pump

sodium pump
noun
1. : a molecular mechanism by which sodium ions are actively transported across a cell membrane ; especially : one by which a high concentration of potassium ions and a low concentration of sodium ions are maintained within a cell and that is controlled by a specialized plasma membrane protein linking the hydrolysis of ATP to the active transport of intracellular sodium ions out of the cell and extracellular potassium ions into the cell to create an electrical and chemical gradient across the plasma membrane necessary for vital cell functions (as nerve cell excitation and cell volume regulation)
2. : the specialized plasma membrane protein that controls the sodium pump

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an energy-consuming mechanism in cell membranes that transports sodium ions across the membrane, in exchange for potassium ions or other substances.
[1960-65]

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sodium pump noun (biochemistry)
A mechanism by which sodium is removed through cell membranes, eg in the axon of a neurone and certain kidney cells, the energy for the process being derived from the breakdown of ATP
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Main Entry: ↑sodium

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sodium pump,
the cellular mechanism or means by which sodium ions are moved out of the nerve cells and replaced with potassium ions: »

The “sodium pump”…uses metabolic energy in the form of ATP to extrude sodium ions from the axon (Scientific American).


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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