<u>Answer</u>:
<em>Sodium potassium pump works by following several steps.
</em>
<u>Explanation</u>:
<em>1. Carrier protein binds three molecules of Na+
</em>
<em>2. ATP is split, phosphate bonds to carrier.
</em>
<em>3. Carrier protein changes shape, and deposits Na on the outside of the cell.
</em>
<em>4. Carrier binds two molecules of K
</em>
<em>5. Phosphate is released.
</em>
<em>6. Potassium is released inside the cell
</em>
Sodium -potassium pump is essential to maintain the concentration of sodium and potassium outside and inside the cell respectively.
It is the function of sodium potassium pump to transport sodium out of the cell and potassium inside of the cell against a concentration gradient.
<em>Thus it is an active transport mechanism.
</em>
