Universal Model for Ion Transport: Bridging The Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz Paradigm with Reverse Electrodialysis

The Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz (GHK) theory has been the paradigm for ion transport in physiological systems for the past century. However, GHK incorrectly assumes a uniform electrical field, leading to several inconsistencies. We propose a new theory developed using methods from the reverse-electrodialysis (RED) community. Our theory, substantiated by simulations, provides expressions for all the main characteristics of ion transport and connects GHK to RED, providing a remarkably robust framework for (re-)interpreting ion transport experiments in any (living or inanimate) charge-selective system.