Question

The sodium-potassium pump makes the cell interior more ______ by pumping ____ sodium ions out of the cell for every ____ potassium ions pumped in.

1) negative, 3, 2
2) negative, 2, 3
3) positive, 3, 2
4) positive, 2, 3
5) negative, 4, 3

Answer 1

The sodium-potassium pump makes the cell interior more negative by pumping 3 sodium ions out of the cell for every 2 potassium ions pumped in.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sodium-potassium pump makes the cell interior more negative by pumping 3 sodium ions out of the cell for every 2 potassium ions pumped in. This creates an electrical imbalance across the membrane, contributing to the membrane potential. The pump is also known as Na+/K+ ATPase and is important for maintaining the electrochemical gradient in living cells.