Inorganic ions are tiny particles that can be found in living things. They float around in fluids inside the body, like in the cytoplasm and body fluids. These ions are super important for many essential processes in the body. Each ion has a special job to do. Sometimes, there are a lot of ions in one place, and sometimes there are only a few. This change in concentration can help send messages in the brain. But, if there are too many or too few ions, it can be really bad for the body. So, it's important that the organization of inorganic ions is just right.

What are inorganic ions?

Have you ever heard of ions? They are tiny things that can have an electric charge. When an ion has a positive charge, it's called a cation. When an ion has a negative charge, it's called an anion. Usually, ions are found with another ion that has the opposite charge. There are two kinds of ions - organic and inorganic. Organic ions contain carbon, while inorganic ions don't.

Examples of inorganic ions

Lots of inorganic ions are in your body and they all have special jobs to do. Here are some of the most important ones and what they do:

• Hydrogen ions and pH: These help control the acidity of your body.
• Iron ions: These are part of haemoglobin, which helps carry oxygen around your body.
• Sodium ions: These are important for helping move glucose and amino acids around your body.
• Phosphate ions: These are part of DNA and ATP, which are important for your body's energy and genetic material.

Hydrogen ions and pH

pH is a measurement of how many hydrogen ions are in a solution. We use a scale from 1 to 14 to measure it, with 7 being neutral. If a solution has a higher pH, it's more basic and has fewer hydrogen ions. If it has a lower pH, it's more acidic and has more hydrogen ions.

It's really important to keep the pH of fluids in your body close to 7.4. This ensures that all the metabolic processes in your cells can happen properly. If the pH is too far off, enzymes can get damaged and stop working. This happens because the extra hydrogen ions can interact with the amino acids in the enzyme, changing its shape and making it ineffective.

Iron ions in haemoglobin

Iron ions are positively charged and can exist in two different oxidation states: Fe2+ or Fe3+. In our body, around 70% of iron ions are found in the form of Fe2+ and are part of a protein called haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is found in red blood cells and is responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.

Haemoglobin is made up of four polypeptide chains, each with one Fe2+ ion present in the center. When oxygen binds to these Fe2+ ions, haemoglobin changes shape and becomes more efficient at releasing oxygen where it's needed.

The remaining iron in our body is found in other proteins such as myoglobin, which is another oxygen-binding protein found in muscle tissue, and ferritin, which stores iron in the liver and spleen for later use.

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Sodium ions: co-transport of glucose and amino acids

Absolutely correct! Sodium ions (Na+) play a crucial role in a number of different bodily functions, such as maintaining fluid balance and allowing nerve impulses to conduct properly. One of the most important functions of Na+ is its role in transporting glucose and amino acids across cell membranes through a process called co-transport.

In the small intestine, carrier proteins on the cell-surface membrane will only allow glucose and amino acid molecules through if they are accompanied by Na+. To begin the process, Na+ is actively transported out of the epithelial cells that line the villi, which are tiny projections that absorb substances into the bloodstream. This creates a concentration gradient, with the concentration of Na+ inside the epithelial cells lower than in the lumen of the small intestine.

As a result of this gradient, Na+ will move down its concentration gradient and re-enter the cells through carrier proteins on the surface membrane of the epithelial cells. This allows glucose and amino acids to enter the cells alongside Na+ at the same time. This process is vital for the body's ability to absorb these important nutrients from the diet.

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Phosphate ions: components of DNA and ATP

Sodium ions (Na+) play a crucial role in a number of different bodily functions, such as maintaining fluid balance and allowing nerve impulses to conduct properly. One of the most important functions of Na+ is its role in transporting glucose and amino acids across cell membranes through a process called co-transport.

In the small intestine, carrier proteins on the cell-surface membrane will only allow glucose and amino acid molecules through if they are accompanied by Na+. To begin the process, Na+ is actively transported out of the epithelial cells that line the villi, which are tiny projections that absorb substances into the bloodstream. This creates a concentration gradient, with the concentration of Na+ inside the epithelial cells lower than in the lumen of the small intestine.

As a result of this gradient, Na+ will move down its concentration gradient and re-enter the cells through carrier proteins on the surface membrane of the epithelial cells. This allows glucose and amino acids to enter the cells alongside Na+ at the same time. This process is vital for the body's ability to absorb these important nutrients from the diet.

Inorganic Ions

What are inorganic ions?

Inorganic ions are atoms (or groups of atoms) with an electric charge that do not contain carbon.

How do inorganic ions enter cells?

Inorganic ions can move down a concentration gradient which is a passive process (does not use energy). They can move through protein channels in the membrane during co-transport (e.g. sodium). Inorganic ions can also move against a concentration gradient by active transport, which uses energy.

Are ions the same as inorganic ions?

Inorganic ions are a type of ion. Remember that an ion just refers to an atom (or group of atoms) with an electric charge. Inorganic ions are just ions that do not contain carbon.

How are inorganic ions transported?

They are transported by specialised carrier proteins found in the lipid bilayer.

How are inorganic ions used in living organisms?

Different ions have a range of different functions. The ones we need to know in detail are that hydrogen ions determine pH, iron irons make up haemoglobin, sodium ions help transport glucose and amino acids across the cell-surface membrane, and phosphate ions are a vital component of ATP and DNA.

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