Transmembrane

Transport
Dr. Drew Tarmey
drew.tarmey@nottingham.ac.uk

The University of Nottingham

Learning objectives
• To explain why it is essential that cells have specific
transport mechanisms
• To describe the various types of transport processes
used by cells
• To explain one of the uses of ATP and why the function
of Na+/K+ ATPase and other active transport processes
are so important
• Finally, to describe, with examples, how movement of
one substance across the cell membrane can be
dependent upon the movement of another.
Extracellular

Intracellular
 extracellular
Na+ Ca2+

K+ Na+
intracellular
Cardiac muscle cell

•Must maintain low

intracellular [Calcium]

•Na is first pumped out

Na+ K+
•Then Ca is exchanged
for Na
Ca2+ Na+
Digoxin
• Digitalis toxin, Lanoxin (GSK)
• Is a cardiac glycoside medication which was once the
drug of choice in patients with congestive heart failure
and atrial flutter/fibrillation.
• Still used, although primarily in atrial fibrillation, or when
patients do not respond well to ACE inhibitors/diuretics in
CHF.
• Improves contractive force and slows conduction by
inhibiting some of sodium-potassium pumps, which
reduces calcium extrusion and increases intracellular
stores. Resulting in increased calcium
release on contraction.
 In the presence of digoxin
Na+ Ca2+

K+ Na+
Ca2+

Ca2+

Ca2 +

Ca2 +

Ca2 +

•Metabolic poison
Ca2+
•Inactivates Na pumps

•Calcium taken up into Na+ K+

intracellular stores
Ca2+ Na+
•Greater Ca release in
contraction
Summary
• Cells require different concentrations of many substances on either
side of the plasmalemma
• Polar, charged or large molecular weight substances cannot cross
the cell membrane by diffusion
• There are specific transport processes for these substances
(transporters/carriers and channels)
• Movement of these substances across the plasmalemma takes place
either by facilitated diffusion or by active transport
• Co-dependent transport of two or more substances can be either
symport or antiport
• Ion channels are gated by a number of different processes, including
membrane potential, ligands and mechanical deformation
• The transport of one substance can be critically dependent on the
transport of another (e.g. glucose in the intestinal epithelium is
dependent on sodium transport)