ion channel

noun

: a cell membrane channel that is selectively permeable to certain ions (as of calcium or sodium)

Examples of ion channel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Additional electrical recordings tracking ion flow, led by second author and staff scientist Oleg Yarishkin, showed a connection between structural changes in PIEZO2 and activity within the ion channel. Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026 Zhang, of Purdue, studies bioelectrical signaling in zebra fish, which develop striking extra-long tails when a certain ion channel is mutated. Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 12 Jan. 2026 What the Saitama team found was that touching the trigger hairs sets up an electrical charge using a calcium ion channel called DmMSL10 that is concentrated at the base of the hairs. New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2025 The Sydney Funnel Web Spider Bite Sydney Funnel Web Spider Bite Sydney funnel web spider venom contains a compound known as atracotoxin, a highly toxic ion channel inhibitor. Tim MacWelch, Outdoor Life, 3 May 2023 See All Example Sentences for ion channel

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ion channel was in 1964

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Cite this Entry

“Ion channel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ion%20channel. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Medical Definition

ion channel

noun
: a cell membrane channel that is selectively permeable to certain ions (such as of calcium or sodium)
Researchers now know that not only do all cells, including nerve cells, have ion channels through which substances such as sodium and calcium move in and out, but that particular subtypes of sodium channels govern the transmission of pain.Judy Foreman, The Los Angeles Times
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