Biological complexity: potassium ion channels (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, August 10, 2019, 19:38 (1713 days ago) @ David Turell
edited by David Turell, Saturday, August 10, 2019, 19:57

Highly complex to control positively-charged potassium ions which are necessary for many cellular functions:

https://phys.org/news/2019-08-molecules-ions-filter-potassium-channels.html

"Our cells need potassium ions to transmit nerve impulses and to control the heart rate, among other functions. Virtually every human cell membrane is equipped with potassium channels. Because potassium channels are of fundamental importance for biological processes, and even the most minute changes can result in serious diseases, the tiny protein molecules are the focus of research efforts around the world. In 2003, a U.S. researcher was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his elucidation of the structure of potassium channels.

"However, the question of how potassium actually passes through the channel in order to cross the cell membrane has remained unclear. For a long time, it was assumed that each potassium ion was followed by a water molecule and that the elements then lined up, like links in a chain, and passed through the narrowest part of the potassium channel, the so-called selectivity filter, one after the other. This was based on the fact that potassium ions are positively charged and would repel each other without the intermediate water molecules.

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"Now, researchers from the FMP in Berlin have brought clarity to the debate: Dr. Carl Öster and Kitty Hendriks of Prof. Adam Lange's research group and other colleagues at the FMP used solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to show that potassium ions actually do migrate through the potassium channels without water molecules in between. Their findings show that the potassium ions are positioned directly behind each other and push each other through the potassium channel, from bottom to top.

"'The technology we used enables us to look at membrane proteins in real cell membranes under natural conditions, for example, at room temperature or physiological salt concentrations," explains Kitty Hendriks. "Thus, we have been able to show that under these conditions, there is definitely no water between the potassium ions in the selectivity filter."

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"'Five years ago, we certainly would not have been able to demonstrate this in such a manner, but now we have reached a point where we are able to effectively answer this important question," said Prof. Adam Lange, head of the research group that focuses on the investigation of membrane proteins, such as ion channels. He adds: "Since the processes in potassium channels are fundamental to our health, our results have great significance that also extends beyond basic research.'"

Comment: Potassium ions play such a vital role in living processes, life could not have begun without these channels designed to be in place at the life appeared. The channel overcomes the problem of the ions repelling each other. Only design by a designer fits as the source of such complexity.

What is interesting and obvious from the comments made by dhw is that except for the very strong evidence of design, he would be an atheist. I think his early exposure to religion has caused some confusion in his thinking. The designer does not have to be religion's God as the ID folks constantly point out, but logic indicates there must be a designer. dhw can still be agnostic about who or what the designer represents while accepting a designer's existence and leave it at that. The next step is to recognize it requires a thinking, planning mind. No further step is necessary.