Ion pump (biology)

This article is about biological ion transfer. For pumps that reduce pressure, see Ion pump (physics).

In biology, an ion pump is a transmembrane protein that moves ions across a plasma membrane against their concentration gradient. Such ion pumps, sometimes also known as ion transporters, can use energy from a variety of sources, including ATP or the concentration gradient of another ion (sometimes called an "ion exchanger"). For a more detailed description of one particular kind of ion pump, see Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase.