At Resting Potential, the Overall Charge of the Plasma Membrane

Question

At resting potential, the overall charge of the plasma membrane is
A)positive because of the movement of myelin out of a neuron.
B)negative because of the sodium ions being pumped out of a neuron.
C)positive because sodium channels open in the axon but not in the cell body.
D)negative because sodium channels close in the dendrite but not in the axon.

Accepted Answer

At resting potential, the overall charge of the plasma membrane is negative because of the sodium ions being actively pumped out of a neuron by the sodium-potassium pump. This creates a higher concentration of negative ions inside the cell compared to outside, resulting in a negative overall charge on the membrane.