Self-Organized Bioelectricity via Collective Pump Alignment: Physical Origin of Chemiosmosis

Abstract: Chemiosmosis maintains life in nonequilibrium through ion transport across membranes, yet the origin of this order remains unclear. We develop a minimal model in which ion pump orientation and the intracellular electrochemical potential mutually reinforce each other. This model shows that fluctuations can induce collective pump alignment and the formation of a membrane potential. The alignment undergoes a phase transition from disordered to ordered, analogous to the Ising model. Our results provide a self-organizing mechanism for the emergence of bioelectricity, with implications for the origin of life.