Glucose transport across cellular membranes is essential for…
Glucose transport across cellular membranes is essential for energy production and maintaining glucose homeostasis. Cells utilize different mechanisms to transport glucose, depending on the cellular context and glucose concentration gradient. In the intestinal epithelium, glucose is absorbed from the lumen through secondary active transport. A Na⁺-glucose symporter (SGLT1) on the apical surface of epithelial cells moves glucose into the cell against its concentration gradient by coupling it with Na⁺, which moves down its gradient. This sodium gradient is maintained by the Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase pump on the basal surface, which actively transports Na⁺ out of the cell in exchange for K⁺. Once inside the cell, glucose exits to the bloodstream through facilitated diffusion via a glucose transporter (GLUT2) on the basal membrane. Facilitated diffusion, unlike active transport, does not require energy; it allows glucose to move down its concentration gradient from the cell to the blood. In other cell types, such as muscle and adipose tissue, glucose uptake occurs through GLUT4, an insulin-responsive transporter. In response to insulin, GLUT4 translocates to the cell membrane, allowing glucose to enter the cell. Dysregulation of GLUT4 translocation, such as in insulin resistance, impairs glucose uptake and is a characteristic of type 2 diabetes. Which of the following best describes the mechanism by which glucose is absorbed from the intestinal lumen into epithelial cells?