What Is Secondary Active Transport -

) on one side of the membrane. This creates potential energy, like water held behind a dam. The Flow: As those ions naturally leak back across the membrane through a transport protein, they act as a "power source." The Hitchhiker: The transport protein uses the energy from the falling ions to pull a second molecule (like

Understanding secondary active transport is vital for medicine and pharmacology: what is secondary active transport

Therefore, secondary active transport is ultimately dependent on the cell burning ATP to maintain the sodium gradient. This is why the transport is called "secondary"—it is one step removed from the primary ATP hydrolysis. ) on one side of the membrane