Potassium
hidePotassium (pronounced /pɵˈtæsiəm/) is the chemical element with the symbol K (Latin: kalium, from Arabic: القَلْيَه al-qalyah “plant ashes”, cf. Alkali from the same root), atomic number 19, and atomic mass 39.0983. Potassium was first isolated from potash. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white metallic alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the evolved hydrogen.
Potassium in nature occurs only as ionic salt. As such, it is found dissolved in seawater, and as part of many minerals. Potassium ion is necessary for the function of all living cells, and is thus present in all plant and animal tissues. It is found in especially high concentrations in plant cells, and in a mixed diet, it is most highly concentrated in fruits.
In many respects, potassium and sodium are chemically similar, although they have very different functions in organisms in general, and in animal cells in particular.
For more information about Potassium, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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News tagged with potassium
Drug studied as possible treatment for spinal injuries
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Nov 19, 2009 |
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Researchers have shown how an experimental drug might restore the function of nerves damaged in spinal cord injuries by preventing short circuits caused when tiny "potassium channels" in the fibers are exposed.
Solar power generation around the clock
Nov 05, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A Californian company, SolarReserve, is developing a solar power system that can store seven hours' worth of solar energy by focusing mirrors onto millions of gallons of molten salt, allowing ...
New class of molecules may help prevent fatal complication in patients with kidney disease
Nov 03, 2009 |
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Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have made an important discovery about why potassium builds up to dangerous levels in the bloodstream, a relatively common medical problem that affects about eight ...
High Blood Pressure Medicines Show Promise for Treating Heart Disease
Medicine & Health / Medications
Oct 29, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Two medications commonly used to treat high blood pressure appear to be effective in treating one of the most common and potentially deadly forms of heart disease, according to a report by ...
Scientists find 'molecular trigger' for sudden death in epilepsy
Oct 14, 2009 |
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The most common gene for a syndrome associated with abnormal heart rhythms and sudden death triggers epileptic seizures and could explain sudden unexplained death in epilepsy, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine ...
Brain power goes green
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Oct 14, 2009 |
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Our brains, it turns out, are eco-friendly. A study published in Science and reviewed by F1000 Biology members Venkatesh Murthy and Jakob Sorensen reveals that our brains have the amazing ability to be energy efficient.
Pushing the cold frontier in an orderly fashion
Sep 28, 2009 |
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Physicists are continually reaching new lows as they reduce the temperatures of samples in their laboratories. But even nano-kelvins are not low enough to overcome the entropy (a measure of the disorder in ...
New genetic link between cardiac arrhythmias and thyroid dysfunction identified
Sep 20, 2009 |
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Genes previously known to be essential to the coordinated, rhythmic electrical activity of cardiac muscle -- a healthy heartbeat -- have now also been found to play a key role in thyroid hormone (TH) biosynthesis, according ...
A Cell's Private Life: Researchers Peer Inside a Hidden Protein
Aug 30, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- To understand the molecular machinery of the human body, scientists have to be able to observe the structure of cellular proteins. This has been particularly challenging for those proteins ...
New research sheds light on sudden death in people with high cholesterol
Aug 21, 2009 |
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Cholesterol can affect the flow of the electrical currents that generate the heart beat, according to a study from two UBC cardiovascular researchers funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon. The research team ...
Gene discovery reveals a critical protein's function in hearing
Aug 21, 2009 |
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Discovery of a deafness-causing gene defect in mice has helped identify a new protein that protects sensory cells in the ear, according to a study led by University of Iowa researchers. The findings, which ...
Hepatitis C virus channels efforts into cell survival
Aug 17, 2009 |
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Researchers at the University of Leeds have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that allows the hepatitis C virus (HCV) to remain in the body for decades.
The first gene-encoded amphibian toxin isolated
Aug 17, 2009 |
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Researchers in China have discovered the first protein-based toxin in an amphibian -a 60 amino acid neurotoxin found in the skin of a Chinese tree frog. This finding may help shed more light into both the ...
Epilepsy halted in mice
Aug 03, 2009 |
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Scientists at Leeds have prevented epilepsy caused by a gene defect from being passed on to mice offspring - an achievement which may herald new therapies for people suffering from the condition.
Fresh meats often contain additives harmful to kidney disease patients
Jul 23, 2009 |
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Uncooked meat products enhanced with food additives may contain high levels of phosphorous and potassium that are not discernable from inspection of food labels, according to a study appearing in an upcoming ...
