“Pushers” push passengers into a train (IMAGE)

Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology

“Pushers” push passengers into a train

Caption

Cells have to invest a lot of energy to maintain this concentration gradient, especially when it comes to getting rid of calcium. 'It's like being on a rush-hour train in a city like Tokyo. When the doors of a crowded train open at an empty station, people literally burst out. Conversely, getting into a crowded train requires a lot of strength. In Japan, commuters are packed into rush-hour trains by special staff called 'pushers'. Such pushers also exist in the cell.

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Alamy

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