Academic Integrity: tutoring, explanations, and feedback — we don’t complete graded work or submit on a student’s behalf.

renders this membrane permeable to K+. How will the electrochemical gradient acr

ID: 211781 • Letter: R

Question

renders this membrane permeable to K+. How will the electrochemical gradient across the inner membrane change in response to these drugs? O ANeither drug will affect the electrochemical gradient. O B DNP and nigericin will both elimina te the electrochemical gradient entirely DNP will eliminate the electrical and chemical parts of the gradient, while nigericin will increase the gradient by enhancing the electrical part of the gradient. Nigericin will eliminate both the electrical and chemical gradients, while DNP will only affect the proton Oconcentration part of the gradient.

Explanation / Answer

The correct option is DNP will eliminate the electrical and chemical parts of the gradient, while nigericin will only affect the electrical part of the gradient.

The drug dintrophenol (DNP) renders the inner mitochondrial membrane permeable to protons, while the drug nigericin renders this membrane permeable to K+. DNP will eliminate both the electrical and chemical gradients, while nigericin will only affect the electrical part of the gradient. If the membrane is permeable to K+ with nigericin, K+ will be forced into the matrix by the electrical potential of the inner membrane. The influx of positively charged K+ eliminates the membrane's electrical potential.