Question

1. All living cells maintain a polarized membrane, meaning that positive and negative ions are separated on either side of the membrane. What role does this polarization play in the function of neurons?

Answer 1

Answer. Normally, at rest the membrane is more positive outside and more negative inside, such state is known as the resting potential or the polarised state. As the sodium ions are more on the outer side and potassium is less on the inner side.

As stimulus is received, polarity changes the outer membrane becomes negative and inner membrane becomes positive, this state is known as the depolarized state or the action potential. As this action potential propagates further the membrane again becomes polarised from the back region.

Polarisation, depolarisation and repolarisation helps in the transmission of nerve impulse across the neuron through synapse.