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Fluid, Electrolyte and Acid-Base Disorders pp 165–173Cite as

Disorders of Potassium: Physiology

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Abstract

Potassium (K+) is the predominant intracellular cation in the body. The intracellular [K+] is 140–150 mEq/L; in blood it is 3.5–5 mEq/L. Serum contains a slightly higher concentration of K+ than plasma because K+ is released from red blood cells during clot formation. Maintenance of a high cellular concentration of K+ is necessary for several cellular functions, including growth, nucleic acid and protein synthesis, and regulation of cell volume, as well as pH and enzyme activation. In addition, a high intracellular concentration of K+ is essential to the maintenance of the resting membrane potential for cellular excitability and contraction. The high intracellular K+ concentration is maintained by the Na/K-ATPase located in the cell membranes of all animal cells. The activity of this enzyme is influenced by a variety of hormones.

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Suggested Reading

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Rutgers New Jersey Medical, Newark, NJ, USA

    Alluru S. Reddi MD, PhD (Professor of Medicine, Chief)

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  1. Alluru S. Reddi MD, PhD
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Reddi, A.S. (2018). Disorders of Potassium: Physiology. In: Fluid, Electrolyte and Acid-Base Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60167-0_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60167-0_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-60166-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-60167-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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