Ion hopping generates torque in potassium channels

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/APS-Science-Highlight/2025-03-12/ion-hopping-generates-torque-in-potassium-channels
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98% of the potassium ions in our body are inside our cells. Neurons use this gradient to generate electric currents by allowing potassium to rapidly flow down the gradient, causing, in turn, a voltage pulse to travel along their membranes. Researchers have used electric-field-stimulated time resolved X-ray crystallography (EFX) to capture potassium ions hopping down the channel’s electrochemical gradient in real time. 

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A diagram of a protein structure with an expanded look at one portion of the structure represented by three illustrations of ions.
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