Can someone please explain the sodium potassium pump?

Question

I'm in an anatomy/physiology class and I've read the same info over and over again. Can someone just dumb it down, please?

Just wanted to say thank you all so much. That helps a lot.

Answer 1

this is an ATPase (a pump that uses ATP). for every 1 ATP used it pumps 3 sodiums out of the cell and 2 potassoiums into the cell.
this will create a charge difference in and out of the cell. both Na and K have a +1 charge, since we are pumping more +1's out of the cell the outside will have an overall + charge relative to the inside of the cell. the resulting membrane potential is about 50-70mV.
this is a very important part of the body, it actually uses about 30% of the ATP produced by the body!
if you need/want any more info let me know. hope this helps!

Answer 2

MLE is correct. Each of our living cells has a RMP or resting membrane potential. This potential or voltage exists across the membrane because there is an unbalanced number of +1 charges across the membrane. If you took a cell in the body and somehow turned off the sodium/potassium pump eventuallly sodium will leak through the membrane. This would continue until the concentration of sodium ions would be equal inside the cell and outside the cell. This would also be true for potassium and even chloride. If things balanced out like this the membrane potential would drop to zero and we would be dead. The sodium/potassium takes these ions that leak through the membrane and pumps sodium out and potassium back in maintaining that unbalanced state so the RMP exists. The RMP or changes in this membrane potential is the basis for nerve impulse conduction and also for brain function, and muscle contraction, and more. It is very important.

Answer 3

It is like, our movements are controlled by the Na, Ka pump. There is a membrane separating the Ka tranche and the part above. There is a potential difference for normal flow of Ka. When an action like movement of the hand is to be performed signal from the brain actually creates a potential difference between the membranes and Ka flow through the membrane. This is how it normaly happens. But, if you take overdoze of tranquilizers this potential difference rise above the threshold and abnormal amount of Ka passes through the membrane and uncontrolled movement of the limb takes place. The phenomenon is called hypothermia or hyperpyrexia. The whole process behaves like an LCR circuit.