Document from the year 2024 in the subject Chemistry - Bio-chemistry, , language: English, abstract: An astonishing scientific story is presented in this booklet: how do cells maintain their volume and how do they fire signals in nerve fibers? Indeed, these two processes are performed by a single biological system, one of the most complex and sophisticated ones in nature: the sodium pump or sodium-potassium-activated adenosine triphosphatase (Na,K-ATPase), which is embedded in the membrane of each living cell. It is a combination of a motor and a battery underlying the organization of life itself.

The current account is historical and shows how the author was involved herself in this fundamental research and found a transport system for phosphate ions linked to the activity of the sodium pump. This historical account is interesting for all scientists working on membrane processes who wish to understand better how our current knowledge of the Na,K-ATPase has been built up slowly but surely, patiently adding piece after piece to a complicated puzzle.

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