Incre Asin G the Extra Cellular [K⁺] by Itself Should

Question

Incre asin g the extra cellular [K⁺] by itself should A) Increase EK(make it less negative) B) Hyperpolarize the cell C) Depolarize the cell D) Have no effect on EKbecause gKwould not change E) Both A and C are correct

Accepted Answer

Increasing the extracellular potassium concentration leads to depolarization of the cell, making the membrane potential less negative. This is because a higher external potassium concentration reduces the potassium concentration gradient across the cell membrane, making it harder for potassium to leave the cell, which in turn makes the inside of the cell less negative (depolarization). Therefore, both increasing E_K (making it less negative) and depolarizing the cell are correct.

Incre asin g the extra cellular [K+] by itself should

Incre asin g the extra cellular [K⁺] by itself should