sodium pump

noun

an energy-consuming mechanism in cell membranes that transports sodium ions across the membrane, in exchange for potassium ions or other substances.

Origin of sodium pump

First recorded in 1960–65

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

sodium pump in Medicine

sodium pump

n.

A biologic mechanism that uses metabolic energy stored in ATP to achieve active transport of sodium ions across a membrane, such as the cell membrane or the multicellular membranes that make up the walls of renal tubules.