Transporters, Pumps, and Channels II

These flashcards cover essential terms and definitions related to transporters, pumps, channels, and their roles in cellular transport mechanisms.

Channels

Proteins that allow ions or water to pass through the plasma membrane, including types such as ligand-gated, voltage-gated, and stretch-activated.

Solute Carriers

Proteins that facilitate the transport of solutes across the membrane, often through passive or facilitated diffusion.

Primary Active Transport

Transport mechanisms that use ATP directly to move ions against their concentration gradient.

Secondary Active Transport

Transport mechanisms that use the energy generated from primary active transport to move other molecules against their gradient.

ATPases

Enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of ATP to provide energy for active transport processes.

Na+/K+-ATPase

An example of a primary active transporter that pumps sodium out of cells and potassium into cells against their concentration gradients.

Facilitated Diffusion

A type of passive transport that uses specific carrier proteins to help substances cross the membrane without the use of energy.

Ion Gradient

A difference in the concentration of ions across a membrane, which is essential for bioelectric processes and secondary transport.

Osmosis

The movement of water from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration through a semi-permeable membrane.

Co-transporter

Also known as a symporter, this is a type of secondary active transporter that moves two different solutes in the same direction.