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Related Concept Videos

Facilitated Diffusion01:16

Facilitated Diffusion

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The plasma membrane, a critical structure in cellular biology, houses an array of transporters, or carrier proteins, interspersed within its lipid bilayer. These proteins play a crucial role in solute transport through facilitated diffusion, a form of passive diffusion that uses transporters to move the molecules across the membrane.
In this process, substrates such as organic compounds and ions interact with a transporter on one side, triggering conformational changes in proteins that enable...
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Ion Channels01:19

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The movement of ions like sodium, potassium, and calcium into and out of the cell is essential to maintain the electrochemical gradient in living cells. The ion channels—a class of membrane transport proteins—help maintain this ionic gradient for the smooth functioning of physiological activities such as maintaining cell size and volume, conducting nerve impulses, and gas and nutrient exchange.
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow...
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Secondary Active Transport01:32

Secondary Active Transport

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One example of how cells use the energy contained in electrochemical gradients is demonstrated by glucose transport into cells. The ion vital to this process is sodium (Na+), which is typically present in higher concentrations extracellularly than in the cytosol. Such a concentration difference is due, in part, to the action of an enzyme "pump" embedded in the cellular membrane that actively expels Na+ from a cell. Importantly, as this pump contributes to the high concentration of...
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The Significance of Membrane Transport01:44

The Significance of Membrane Transport

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The transport of solutes across the cell membrane is essential for metabolic processes, like maintaining cell size and volume, generating the action potential, exchanging nutrients and gases, etc. Membrane transport can be either passive or active. It can be simple diffusion, facilitated, or mediated transport aided by transport proteins such as transporters and channels.
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Facilitated Transport01:19

Facilitated Transport

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The chemical and physical properties of plasma membranes cause them to be selectively permeable. Since plasma membranes have both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions, substances need to be able to transverse both regions. The hydrophobic area of membranes repels substances such as charged ions. Therefore, such substances need special membrane proteins to cross a membrane successfully. In  facilitated transport, also known as facilitated diffusion, molecules and ions travel across a...
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Pore Transport and Ion-Pair Transport01:17

Pore Transport and Ion-Pair Transport

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Pore transport and ion-pair formation are critical mechanisms for the absorption and distribution of drugs in the body.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 20, 2025

Merging Ion Concentration Polarization between Juxtaposed Ion Exchange Membranes to Block the Propagation of the Polarization Zone
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Direct Visualization of Perm-Selective Ion Transportation.

Wonseok Kim1,2, Jungeun Lee3, Gunsu Yun4

  • 1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.

Scientific Reports
|June 3, 2020
PubMed
Summary

This study visually demonstrates ion transport in nanochannels using ionic plasma. It reveals how nanochannels selectively allow cations while blocking anions, offering new insights into nanoscale electrokinetics.

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Application of Electrophysiology Measurement to Study the Activity of Electro-Neutral Transporters
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Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy
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Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy

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Last Updated: Dec 20, 2025

Merging Ion Concentration Polarization between Juxtaposed Ion Exchange Membranes to Block the Propagation of the Polarization Zone
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Application of Electrophysiology Measurement to Study the Activity of Electro-Neutral Transporters
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Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy
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Single-Molecule Imaging of Lateral Mobility and Ion Channel Activity in Lipid Bilayers using Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy

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Area of Science:

  • Nanotechnology
  • Electrokinetics
  • Plasma Physics

Background:

  • Perm-selective ion transport in nanoscale structures is crucial for applications but challenging to observe directly.
  • Current methods rely on indirect analyses like current-voltage measurements or fluorescence imaging.
  • Nanofabrication has advanced understanding, yet direct visualization remains elusive.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To achieve the first direct visualization of perm-selective ion transport through nanoscale spaces.
  • To utilize ionic plasma generation for observing ion behavior at the nanoscale.
  • To investigate the influence of ion properties, like hydration shells, on transport dynamics.

Main Methods:

  • Employing a micro/nanofluidic device for controlled microbubble formation and ionic plasma generation.
  • Inducing plasma negation and guiding its penetration along a nanojunction.
  • Directly observing and analyzing the behavior of ionic plasma within the nanochannel.

Main Results:

  • Successfully visualized perm-selective ion transport, confirming the passage of cationic species and rejection of anionic species.
  • Observed lithium plasma traversing the nanojunction faster than sodium plasma, attributed to the absence of hydrated shells around lithium ions.
  • Demonstrated the capability to capture ionic plasma behavior within the nanojunction.

Conclusions:

  • The developed ionic plasma visualization technique provides direct evidence of nanoscale perm-selectivity.
  • This method offers fundamental insights into electrokinetic phenomena and liquid-plasma interfacial ion transport.
  • The technique holds potential for advancing nanoscale research and innovative engineering applications.