Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Atomic Absorbance Spectroscopy to Measure Intracellular Zinc Pools in Mammalian Cells
Published on: May 16, 2019
Intracellular free zinc and zinc buffering in human red blood cells
1Biomedical Sciences Division, King's College London.
Abstract:
Zn2+ has been allowed to equilibrate across the red cell membrane using two agents that increase membrane permeability to this ion: the ionophore A23187 and the specific carrier ethylmaltol. Extracellular free Zn2+ was controlled with EGTA (1,2-di(2-aminoethoxy)ethane-NNN'N'tetra-acetic acid] buffers, except in the case of ethylmaltol, which itself acts as a buffer. Measurement of cellular zinc content at different levels of free Zn2+ facilitated the study of intracellular Zn2+ binding. It was also possible to estimate intracellular free Zn2+ concentration in untreated cells using a "null-point" technique. Intracellular zinc was found to consist of an inexchangeable component of about 129 mumol/10(13) cells and an exchangeable component of 6.7 +/- 1.5 mumol/10(13) cells, with a free concentration of about 2.4 x 10(-11) M. The main component of Zn2+ buffering is hemoglobin, with a dissociation constant of about 2 x 10(-8) M.
More Related Videos
11:04Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides
Published on: September 7, 2019
07:55Characterizing Mammalian Zinc Transporters Using an In Vitro Zinc Transport Assay
Published on: June 2, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Standard Electrode Potentials
Concentration Cells
Consider the following voltaic cell:
EDTA: Auxiliary Complexing Reagents
Characteristics and Functions of Blood
The primary function of blood is to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide between tissues and the lungs. Oxygenated blood is bright red, while oxygen-depleted blood is darker. It also carries...
Oxygen Transport in the Blood
Protein Buffers in Blood Plasma and Cells
Certain amino acids can exist in a zwitterion state at a...