The resting membrane potential is created by an unequal distribution of ions across the neuronal plasma membrane. Ion channels and the sodium-potassium pump maintain higher potassium levels inside the neuron and higher sodium and chloride levels outside.1,2 This creates a negative electrical charge inside the cell, typically around -70 mV in mammalian neurons, and forms the basis for neuronal signalling and action potential generation. An understanding of the resting membrane potential and how action potentials are generated is key to understanding how information is transmitted in the nervous system.1-3
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