Question

Cells make use of H+ electrochemical gradients in many ways. Which of the following proton transporters is used to regulate pH in animal cells?

1) Sodium-potassium pump
2) Calcium pump
3) Proton pump
4) Chloride pump

Answer 1

To regulate pH in animal cells, the proton pump is used, not the sodium-potassium pump, which is primarily for maintaining electrochemical gradients.

Step-by-step explanation:

Cells utilize H+ electrochemical gradients for various functions, and to regulate pH in animal cells, a specific type of transporter is used. The correct transporter used for this purpose is the proton pump. While the sodium-potassium pump (Na+/K+ ATPase) is indeed important for maintaining electrochemical gradients by moving 3 Na+ ions out and 2 K+ ions in for each ATP molecule used, it is not primarily responsible for pH regulation. Instead, the proton pump, which actively transports H+ ions across a membrane, directly contributes to the manipulation of pH levels within different cellular compartments.