PSYO 1011 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Membrane Potential, Net Force, Resting Potential

• School: Dalhousie University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYO 1011
• Professor: Dr Adamo

Document Summary

They have a resting membrane potential of -70 mv. The electrical force is driving it into the cell. It moves in and out depending on the strength of these forces. The chemical force is stronger so the net force is out of the cell: for sodium, the chemical force is driving it to the inside of the cell. The electrical force is driving it in the cell. Because both forces are inside so it moves inside: the accumulation of +ve charge on the outside of the neuron produces a net negative charge across the membrane. The membrane potential at which the electrical forces and osmotic forces are balanced and there is no net flow of ions across the membrane. If a channel for an ion opens, the ions will move so that the resting potential will shift towards the equilibrium potential for that ion.