Cell membranes function as a metabolic regulator via enzyme molecules incorporated into the membrane.
The sodium -potassium-adenosine triphosphatase (Na-K-ATPase) provides the energy necessary to drive the sodium-potassium pump a fundamental ion transport system: sodium ions are pumped out of the cells into extracellular fluids, where the concentration of sodium is higher than inside the cell.
Mitochondrial activitities are dependent on this process.