Ion Channels: Structure and Function. Ion channels are membrane protein complexes and their function is to facilitate the diffusion of ions across biological membranes. Membranes, or phospholipid bilayers, build a hydrophobic, low dielectric barrier to hydrophilic and charged molecules. They are electrical insulators.
The inert gas xenon (chemical symbol Xe) has an atomic number of 54, and it has 54 protons in its nucleus. The number of neutrons varies, however.
The central atom in most of these compounds will be bonded to highly electronegative elements such as fluorine, oxygen and chlorine. A surprising element in this group is the inert gas, xenon. If xenon is exposed to fluorine gas in the presence of light for several weeks it can form XeF2, a colorless crystalline solid.