Abstract
IN a previous communication1 Prof. F. G. Donnan—to whose kindness I am much indebted—has developed further an idea arising out of work in this laboratory2, concerning the cellular accumulation of potassium ions in association with an intracellular chemical reaction. In this process an external diffusible anion, after passing through the membrane into the cell, is converted into an indiffusible anion or anion complex (using the term ‘indiffusible’ with respect to the membrane). The case chosen by Prof. Donnan was the simplest, in order to illustrate the principles involved. An important biological limitation of this simplest system would be that equilibrium can occur in this case only with a pressure difference if the potassium is accumulated. On discussing this matter with Prof. Donnan, it seemed to us of interest to present the condition when this limitation disappears, and in terms of the symbols of his letter.
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18 April 1942
An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/149438f0
References
Donnan, F. G., NATURE, 148, 723 (1941).
Boyle, P. J., and Conway, E. J., J. Physiol., 100, 1 (1941).
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CONWAY, E. Linkage of Physico-Chemical Processes in Biological Systems. Nature 149, 383 (1942). https://doi.org/10.1038/149383a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/149383a0
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