what is the importance of the sodium-potassium.?

Answer 1

Potassium is an essential mineral macronutrient in human nutrition; it is the major cation (positive ion) inside animal cells, and it is thus important in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in the body.

Sodium is the primary cation (positive ion) in extracellular fluids in animals and humans.Excitable animal cells, for example, rely on the entry of Na+ to cause a depolarization.

Potassium is also important in allowing muscle contraction and the sending of all nerve impulses in animals.See Action potential(An action potential is a wave of electrical discharge that travels along the membrane of a cell. Action potentials are an essential feature of animal life, rapidly carrying information within and between tissues. Action potentials can be created by many types of cells, but are used most extensively by the nervous system for communication between neurons and to transmit information from neurons to other body tissues such as muscles and glands.) for an explanation of the interplay of sodium and potassium in all excitable animal cells.
Because of the interaction of the charge on a potassium ion and its surrounding water molecules, K+ ions are actually a little smaller than Na+ ions, and ion channels and pumps in cell membranes can easily distinguish between the two types of ions, actively pumping or passively allowing one of the two ions to pass, while blocking the other.

Answer 2

The sodium-potassium pump is important in maintaining the resting potential of all cells. It does this by pumping out 3 Na+ ions for every 2 K+ ions pumped. This maintains the inside of the membrane negative with respect to the outside which is positive. There is a high concentration of sodium outside whereas there is a high concentration of potassium on the inside so that the pump moves the ions against their respective concentration gradients. The pump is fuel by energy liberated by the hydrolysis of ATP; that is why it is also called the Na+ - K+ _ ATPase pump.

In excitable cells like neurons, after an ation potential it is important in restoring the resting potential.

Answer 3

If you are referring to the sodium-potassium pump in cell membranes, there are a couple important things. The first is that it maintains the negative charge at the membrane surface by pumping out two potassiums for every sodium pumped in. In nerve cells, when an action potential takes place and the nerve cell has a positive charge, the Na-K pump helps return the negative potential to the membrane. The time it takes to return the membrane to its negative state is referred to as the refractory period.

Answer 4

sodium and potassium are used in nerve cell transmissions. the sodium/potassium ion pumps are micro chemical /electrical cell wall structures in the synapse. They build up and reset nerve cell potential for cell firing and synaptic transmission. Your question is out of context but that is one possible answer.

Answer 5

Of the sodium-potassium what? I mean in biology.


/