Final answer:
The NaK pump is not an ion channel; it's an active transport mechanism that uses energy to move sodium and potassium ions across cell membranes, crucial for maintaining the cell's resting potential.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the NaK pump is an ion channel is false. The Na+/K+ pump, also known as the sodium-potassium pump, is actually an active transport mechanism, not a passive ion channel. This pump requires energy to function, specifically from the hydrolysis of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). It operates by moving sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) ions against their concentration gradients, pumping Na+ ions out of the cell and K+ ions into the cell.
The action of the sodium-potassium pump is essential for maintaining the resting potential of the cell and is involved in nerve impulse transmission and muscular contractions. For instance, at the resting potential, the pump helps establish a negative charge inside the cell. During an action potential, when the membranes of nerve cells depolarize, the pump eventually helps to restore the original ion balance, reaffirming the negative charge inside the nerve cell after depolarization.