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Study Title:

Physiology, Sodium Potassium Pump (Na+ K+ Pump)

Study Abstract

The Na+ K+ pump is an electrogenic transmembrane ATPase first discovered in 1957 and situated in the outer plasma membrane of the cells; on the cytosolic side.[1][2] The Na+ K+ ATPase pumps 3 Na+ out of the cell and 2K+ that into the cell, for every single ATP consumed. The plasma membrane is a lipid bilayer that arranged asymmetrically, containing cholesterol, phospholipids, glycolipids, sphingolipid, and proteins within the membrane.[3][4] The Na+K+-ATPase pump helps to maintain osmotic equilibrium and membrane potential in cells. The sodium and potassium move against the concentration gradients. The Na+ K+-ATPase pump maintains the gradient of a higher concentration of sodium extracellularly and a higher level of potassium intracellularly. The sustained concentration gradient is crucial for physiological processes in many organs and has an ongoing role in stabilizing the resting membrane potential of the cell, regulation of the cell volume and in the cell signal transduction.[2] It plays a crucial role on other physiological processes, such as maintenance of filtering waste products in the nephrons (kidneys), sperm motility, and production of the neuronal action potential.[5] Furthermore, the physiologic consequences of inhibiting the Na+-K+ ATPase are useful and the target in many pharmacologic applications. Na, K-ATPase is a crucial scaffolding protein that can interact with signaling proteins such as protein kinase C (PKC) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K).[6]

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