Potassium

Potassium is widely distributed, being the seventh most abundant element on Earth. This white metal is so soft that it can be cut with a knife. Like sodium, this metal is highly reactive and ignites in water. In fact, due to its unstable nature, potassium must be stored under argon or a mineral oil.

Compounds of potassium have many industrial applications. Potassium carbonates are used in the production of ceramics and special types of glass. Caustic potassium hydroxide (KOH) is an agent used in the preparation of liquid detergents. Both the chloride and the hydroxide are important in the production of other salts.

Biologically, potassium plays an important role. Various potassium channels and exchangers are responsible for potassium transport in and out of the body's cells. When the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the cells is severely impaired, such as during a heart attack or a stroke, there is a decrease in cell fuel, known as ATP. Highly specialized ATP-sensitive potassium channels, present in the cell membrane, sense this change and become activated, thus releasing potassium from inside the cells to body fluids.

Potassium ion channels in tissues such as the heart and the brain act as a metabolic sensor and an alarm system for the body. Scientists at the National Research Council Canada (NRC) Institute for Biodiagnostics have developed a unique method to study these channels using the closest potassium analog, rubidium (Rb⁺), as a potassium tracer. With the help of ⁸⁷Rb-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), they hope to increase our knowledge of the role of these channels in cardiovascular health.

Additional Information

Learn more about relevant NRC research:

• NRC-Institute for Biodiagnostics (NRC-IBD)