Tag: ions
Appreciating the Irreducibly Complex Design of Salmon Osmoregulation
Three main things must occur for the young salmon, called a smolt, to prepare for life in the salty ocean.
Security Gates in the Cell
A key characteristic of life is active transport: control over what enters and exits the cell. Closer looks reveal exquisite “selectivity filters” with moving parts that make active transport work.
Membrane Channels Show Astonishing Specificity
The “selectivity filters” in membrane channels of living cells are able to discriminate between very similar molecules or atoms using complex mechanisms.
This Didn’t Evolve a Few Mutations at a Time
Let’s have a look at an example: nerve cells and their action potential signals.