2. in psychiatry, an unconscious defense mechanism in which unacceptable ideas, fears, and impulses are thrust out or kept out of consciousness. 3. gene r. enzyme repression interference, usually by the endproduct of a pathway, with synthesis of the enzymes of that pathway. gene repression the inhibition of gene transcription of an operon; in prokaryotes repressor binding to the operon is involved.
The ratio of intracellular to extracellular potassium determines neuromuscular and cardiovascular excitability, which is why serum potassium is normally regulated within a narrow range of 3.5 to 5.0 mmol/L. Dietary K+ intake is highly variable, ranging from as low as 40 mmol/day to more than 100 mmol/day.
An example of active transport is the sodium-potassium pump in nerve cells. Normally, the concentration of sodium is low in the cell and high outside the cell while potassium concentration is typically high inside the cell and low outside the cell.