How potassium-sodium maintain resting potential of neuron

Question

How potassium and sodium and ions maintain the resting potential of neuron?

Answer 1

The plasma membrane of neuron whenever at rest maintains an electric potential difference between its internal and external surfaces. This voltage is termed as resting potential. The resting potential is around –70 mV points out that the interior is more negative than the external (that is, negative polarization). This condition is maintained by transport of potassium and sodium ions across the plasma membrane.

The membrane is permeable to potassium ions however not to sodium ions. At rest, the positive potassium ions depart the cell in favor of concentration gradient as in the cell; the potassium concentration is greater than in the extracellular space. The positive sodium ions can’t though go into the cell. As positive potassium ions depart the cell with not adequate compensation of positive ions entering the cell, the intracellular space becomes much negative and the cell stays polarized.