Crossing the Membrane – Facilitated & Active Transport

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Familial Mediterranean Fever
Crossing the Membrane – Facilitated & Active Transport

Time To Read

1–2 minutes

Date Last Modified

June 21, 2026

OVERVIEW

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

PART 6

PART 7

Quiz

CHART CLUE

The inflammasome is intracellular, pyrin lives in neutrophils, and microtubules – colchicine’s target – are part of the cytoskeleton A network of protein filaments that provide structure, shape, and movement to cells.. The transport half of the module finally explains Stina’s swelling, how an ion channel can trigger inflammation, and how a pump handles colchicine.

The Story

Channels and carriersMembrane proteins that transport substances across a cell membrane. move things downhill for free; pumps move them uphill for a price in ATPThe energy currency of cells used for muscle contraction.. Two transport events sit at the heart of Stina’s disease: a potassium(K⁺): Major ICF cation; essential for muscle and nerve function. channel whose K+ efflux flips the inflammasome on, and an efflux pump (P-glycoprotein) that pumps colchicine back out of cellsThe basic structural and functional units of life.. That pump quietly sets up a drug collision with statins later in A&P II.

From Stina’s chart: A pharmacist once flagged a drug-interaction warning on a routine prescription. She didn’t understand it then. How her cells pump medications in and out turns out to matter a great deal for treating her safely.

Compare Stina’s uninfected appendixA small, finger-like pouch attached to the cecum, thought to play a role in immune function. to an infected appendix.

Activity:

Membrane, organellestructures within a cell that perform specialized functions., transport – all in place. Now watch them combine inside the neutrophil, and meet Stina’s third clue.

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Inside the Neutrophil + Transport Meets Disease