Word.ws English Dictionary

ion channel

ion channel noun: a protein complex or single protein that spans between both sides of a cell membrane and allows specific ions to pass through.

Noun

ion channel (plural ion channels)

  1. A protein complex or single protein that spans between both sides of a cell membrane and allows specific ions to pass through.
    • Ion channels, which facilitate this movement, are protein assemblies that penetrate the membrane and catalyze passage of specific ions such as sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), or calcium (Ca2+) into or out of the cell down the electrochemical gradient.2008 Daniels, David. "Ion Channels Play Key Role in R&D". 1 June 2008. Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, 28 (11), pg 24.; archived 2 January 2010. ISSN 1935-472X. OCLC 77706455.
    • Pleurobrachia was missing many common proteins called ion channels that generate electric signals that travel rapidly down a nerve.2017 August 1, Douglas Fox, “Aliens in our midst”, in Aeon, archived from the original on 26 May 2019

Forms of ion channel

pluralion channels

Questions about ion channel

What does ion channel mean?
Ion channel means a protein complex or single protein that spans between both sides of a cell membrane and allows specific ions to pass through.
What part of speech is ion channel?
Ion channel is a noun.
What is the plural of ion channel?
The plural of ion channel is ion channels.

Words near ion channel in the dictionary

  1. IOMMU
  2. IOMMUs
  3. ion
  4. ion carrier
  5. ion carriers
  6. ion channel
  7. ion channelopathies
  8. ion channelopathy
  9. ion channels
  10. ion chromatography
  11. Ion Corvin

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: ion channel (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Cite this entry: “ion channel.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/ion_channel. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.