Question

What is the difference between resting potential and repolarization?

- Resting potential is maintained by leaky potassium channels. Repolarization occurs when potassium leaves the cell (and sodium channels are closed preventing sodium entry into the cell) causing the membrane potential to become more negative.

- Resting potential is maintained by leaky potassium channels. Repolarization occurs when potassium enters the cell causing the membrane potential to become more negative.

- Resting potential is maintained by potassium entry into the cell. Repolarization occurs when sodium levels increase inside the cell.

- Resting potential resets the neuron to by adjusting the sodium and potassium levels. Repolarization is when potassium is leaking out of the cell to make the cell more negative.

Answer 1

Answer is - Resting potential is maintained by leaky potassium channels. Repolarization occurs when potassium leaves the cell (and sodium channels are closed preventing sodium entry into the cell) causing the membrane potential to become more negative.......

Because they are charged, ions can't pass directly through the hydrophobic ("water-fearing") lipid regions of the membrane. Instead, they have to use specialized channel proteins that provide a hydrophilic ("water-loving") tunnel across the membrane. Some channels, known as leak channels, are open in resting neurons. Others are closed in resting neurons and only open in response to a signal.

Ion channels. The channels extend from one side of the plasma membrane to the other and have a tunnel through the middle. The tunnel allows ions to cross. One of the channels shown allows Na+ ions to cross and is a sodium channel. The other channel allows K+ ions to cross and is a potassium channel. The channels simply give a path for the ions across the membrane, allowing them to move down any electrochemical gradients that may exist. The channels do not actively move ions from one side to the other of the membrane.

Some ion channels are highly selective for one type of ion, but others let various kinds of ions pass through. Ion channels that mainly potassium ions to pass are called potassium channels, and ion channels that mainly allow sodium ions to pass are called sodium channels. ..

In neurons, the resting membrane potential depends mainly on movement of potassium ion through potassium leak channels.

Repolarization is a stage of an action potential in which the cell experiences a decrease of voltage due to the efflux of potassium (K+) ions along its electrochemical gradient. This phase occurs after the cell reaches its highest voltage from depolarization