A cell is not stimulated but it does contain an electrical charge difference across its membrane. This charge difference is its
Added by William M.
Step 1
Step 1: The electrical charge difference across a cell membrane is called the membrane potential. Show more…
Show all steps
Your feedback will help us improve your experience
Madhur L and 88 other Physics 101 Mechanics educators are ready to help you.
Ask a new question
Labs
Want to see this concept in action?
Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.
Key Concepts
Recommended Videos
Cell membranes can maintain a difference in electrical charge between the interior of the cell and the extracellular fluid. What is this charge difference called? Option :
Madhur L.
The electrical potential across the membranes in most cells is such that a. the inside of the cell is positive relative to the outside of the cell. b. the inside of the cell is negative relative to the outside of the cell. c. there is no charge separation across the membrane, and hence no voltage difference. d. the inside of the cell is negative so all positive particles are expelled.
Adi S.
A typical cell has a membrane potential of -70 mV, meaning that the potential inside the cell is 70 mV less than the potential outside due to a layer of negative charge on the inner surface of the cell wall and a layer of positive charge on the outer surface. This effectively makes the cell wall a charged capacitor. Because a cell's diameter is much larger than the wall thickness, it is reasonable to ignore the curvature of the cell and think of it as a parallel-plate capacitor.
Morgan C.
Recommended Textbooks
University Physics with Modern Physics
Physics: Principles with Applications
Fundamentals of Physics
Transcript
18,000,000+
Students on Numerade
Trusted by students at 8,000+ universities
Watch the video solution with this free unlock.
EMAIL
PASSWORD