Trace element internalisation

Depending upon the mechanism that is employed by the organism to accumulate the solute, internalisation fluxes can vary both in direction and order of magnitude. The kinetics of passive transport will be examined in Section 6.1.1. Trace element internalisation via ion channels or carrier-mediated transport, subsequent to the specific binding of a solute to a transport site, will be addressed in Section 6.1.2. Finally, since several substances (e.g. Na+, Ca2+, Zn2+, some sugars and amino acids) can be concentrated in the cell against their electrochemical gradient (active transport systems), the kinetic implications of an active transport mechanism will be examined in Section 6.1.3. Further explanations of the mechanisms themselves can be obtained in Chapters 6 and 7 of this volume [24,245]. 

Cellular Responses Affecting Trace Element Internalisation... 

As seen above, the processes leading to the biological internalisation of trace elements are complex and varied. Most often, they are studied as isolated steps,... 

---