Intestinal mucosa - Absorption - Electrolytes

4 important questions on Intestinal mucosa - Absorption - Electrolytes

How are electrolytes absorbed?

Paracellular (passive) or transcellular transport (active or passive, reliant on transport proteins/ion channels)

How is K+ absorbed?

K+ is absorbed down its concentration gradient, rate increases distally in intestine because water has been absorbed proximally and [K+] is higher

Why is Na+ so important in nutrient absorption?

Their concentration/electrical gradients drive the transport of many nutrients via transcellular transport. Whenever Na+ enters the cell, we attach other molecules to it for absorption.
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What creates a concentration and electrical gradient of Na+?

Na+/K+/ATPase, pushes Na+ out of the cell and K+ into the cell. This makes Na+ more likely to enter the cell whenever possible.

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