Which term describes the resting state of the nerve membrane potential?

Which term describes the resting state of the nerve membrane potential?

• A. Resting Potential
• B. Action Potential
• C. Depolarization
• D. Threshold Potential

Answer: (A)

The resting potential is the steady, negative voltage across a neuron's membrane when it is not signaling. It sits at a baseline of about −70 millivolts in many nerves and is established by ion concentration differences (more K+ inside, more Na+ outside) and by the membrane’s selective permeability plus the Na+/K+ pump that maintains those gradients. This resting state provides the ready baseline from which a neuron can respond to stimuli and generate an action potential when appropriately excited. The other terms describe what happens after stimulation: depolarization is the phase during which the membrane becomes less negative as ions flow through, and a threshold potential is the critical level that must be reached to trigger an action potential.

The resting potential is the steady, negative voltage across a neuron's membrane when it is not signaling. It sits at a baseline of about −70 millivolts in many nerves and is established by ion concentration differences (more K+ inside, more Na+ outside) and by the membrane’s selective permeability plus the Na+/K+ pump that maintains those gradients. This resting state provides the ready baseline from which a neuron can respond to stimuli and generate an action potential when appropriately excited. The other terms describe what happens after stimulation: depolarization is the phase during which the membrane becomes less negative as ions flow through, and a threshold potential is the critical level that must be reached to trigger an action potential.