The voltage difference across a nerve cell membrane when it is not transmitting a nerve impulse (usually negative) is called

The voltage difference across a nerve cell membrane when it is not transmitting a nerve impulse (usually negative) is called

• A. Action Potential
• B. Resting Potential
• C. Polarization
• D. Equilibrium Potential

Answer: (B)

The cell’s resting membrane potential is the stable voltage difference across a nerve cell membrane when it’s not sending a signal. This negative interior arises because the membrane at rest is more permeable to potassium, allowing positive charges to flow out, while sodium is kept mostly outside. The sodium–potassium pump helps maintain the essential ion gradients that support this state. Because of these gradients and selective permeability, the inside of the neuron sits at a negative potential, typically around -70 mV in many neurons, enabling quick responses when a stimulus arrives. An action potential is the rapid change during signaling, not the resting state. Polarization is a general term for charge separation, but the specific resting condition is the resting membrane potential. Equilibrium potential describes the voltage at which a single ion would have no net flow, not the overall resting state across the membrane.

The cell’s resting membrane potential is the stable voltage difference across a nerve cell membrane when it’s not sending a signal. This negative interior arises because the membrane at rest is more permeable to potassium, allowing positive charges to flow out, while sodium is kept mostly outside. The sodium–potassium pump helps maintain the essential ion gradients that support this state. Because of these gradients and selective permeability, the inside of the neuron sits at a negative potential, typically around -70 mV in many neurons, enabling quick responses when a stimulus arrives. An action potential is the rapid change during signaling, not the resting state. Polarization is a general term for charge separation, but the specific resting condition is the resting membrane potential. Equilibrium potential describes the voltage at which a single ion would have no net flow, not the overall resting state across the membrane.