Which of the Following is Correct Regarding the Electrical Properties

Question

Which of the following is correct regarding the electrical properties of cellular membranes?
A) Setting up (or changing) the membrane potential requires changing the bulk concentrations of the ions on the two sides of the membrane.
B) The resting potential in most animal cells is between 20 mV and 120 mV (positive inside).
C) If the membrane is impermeable to an ion, the membrane potential approaches the equilibrium potential for that ion.
D) The resting potential decays immediately following the inhibition of the Na⁺-K⁺ pump by a drug.
E) None of the above.

Accepted Answer

Changing the membrane potential can be achieved by the transport of a small number of ions across the membrane and does not require concentration changes. The resting membrane potential in most cells is close to the K⁺ equilibrium potential (and is negative inside) because the plasma membrane is most permeable to this ion.