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In addition, ion channels are key components in a wide variety of biological processes that involve rapid changes in cells, such as cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscle contraction, epithelial transport of nutrients and ions, T-cell activation, and pancreatic beta-cell insulin release. In the search for new drugs, ion channels are a frequent ...
The net charge of an ion is not zero because its total number of electrons is unequal to its total number of protons. A cation is a positively charged ion with fewer electrons than protons [2] (e.g. K + (potassium ion)) while an anion is a negatively charged ion with more electrons than protons. [3] (e.g. Cl − (chloride ion) and OH − ...
The structure of the complex of sodium (Na +) and the antibiotic monensin A Structure of a potassium complex of a crown ether, a synthetic ionophore-ion complex. Biological activities of metal ion-binding compounds can be changed in response to the increment of the metal concentration, and based on the latter compounds can be classified as "metal ionophores", "metal chelators" or "metal ...
Facilitated diffusion in cell membranes, showing ion channels and carrier proteins. The resistance of a pure lipid bilayer to the passage of ions across it is very high, but structures embedded in the membrane can greatly enhance ion movement, either actively or passively, via mechanisms called facilitated transport and facilitated diffusion.
Potassium ion channels play a key role in maintaining the membrane's electric potential. These ion channels are present in many various biological systems. They frequently play a role in regulation of cellular level processes, many of these processes including muscle relaxation, hypertension, insulin secretion etc. [7] Some examples of potassium ion channels within biological systems include K ...
The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all forms of life. Every cell consists of cytoplasm enclosed within a membrane; many cells contain organelles, each with a specific function. The term comes from the Latin word cellula meaning 'small room'. Most cells are only visible under a microscope.
Diffusion vs. Transport. In biology, an ion transporter is a transmembrane protein that moves ions (or other small molecules) across a biological membrane to accomplish many different biological functions, including cellular communication, maintaining homeostasis, energy production, etc. [1] There are different types of transporters including pumps, uniporters, antiporters, and symporters.
Ionic radius, r ion, is the radius of a monatomic ion in an ionic crystal structure. Although neither atoms nor ions have sharp boundaries, they are treated as if they were hard spheres with radii such that the sum of ionic radii of the cation and anion gives the distance between the ions in a crystal lattice.