Explain how proteins help regulate the movement of materials into and out of the cell.
Proteins play a significant role in the movement of material, either into or out of the cell as they aid these molecules. The main reason why this is so is that of the ATP-powered pumps which utilize the energy formed through hydrolysis in moving small molecules and ions against a membrane’s concentration gradient. Channel proteins are also vital in the transportation of specific ions when there is a favorable reaction. It is these structures that are responsible for the protein-lined passageways where ions and water molecules. These channels are potassium specific and regulate the movement of materials here as they only open when given specific signals. One has to take a closer look at the functional properties of the cell membrane to understand the vital role played by proteins in regulating the movement of materials.