IP BIO The Sodium Pump Living cells actively "pump" | StudySoup

Textbook Solutions for Physics with MasteringPhysics

Chapter 20 Problem 14P

Question

Problem 14P

IP BIO The Sodium Pump Living cells actively "pump" positive sodium ions (Na+) from inside the cell to outside the cell. This process is referred to as pumping because work must be done on the ions to move them from the negatively charged inner surface of the membrane to the positively charged outer surface. Given that the electric potential is 0.070 V higher outside the cell than inside the cell, and that the cell membrane is 0.10 μm thick, (a) calculate the work that must be done (in joules) to move one sodium ion from inside the cell to outside. (b) If the thickness of the cell membrane is increased, does your answer to part (a) increase, decrease, or stay the same? Explain. (It is estimated that as much as 20% of the energy we consume in a resting state is used in operating this "sodium pump.")

Solution

Step 1 of 2:-

a)

Here we have to find the work done on one Na ion to move it from from inside the cell to outside of it.

The thickness of the cell membrane is,

.

The potential difference between the inside to outside is,

The charge of ion is , as it has one extra electron.

The work done will be positive as the ion will move from low to high potential.

The work done can be calculated as,

     

     .

So, the work done on the ion is .

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Title Physics with MasteringPhysics 4 
Author James S. Walker
ISBN 9780321541635

IP BIO The Sodium Pump Living cells actively "pump"

Chapter 20 textbook questions

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