Final answer:
The Na⁺/K⁺ pump balances concentrations of ions and molecules across the cell membrane to prevent cell swelling from the inward osmosis of water.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ion gradients established by the Na⁺/K⁺ pump is necessary to counterbalance the high concentration of organic molecules inside the cell, which would tend to drive an inward flow of H₂O by osmosis and causing the cell to swell and eventually burst. This process is vital for maintaining cell volume and electrical gradient across the cell membrane. The Na⁺/K⁺ pump expels three Na⁺ ions out of the cell and takes in two K⁺ ions, creating a net positive charge outside the cell and a net negative charge inside, which helps in setting up an electrochemical gradient critical for various cell processes like secondary active transport and generation of action potentials in nerve cells.