If a membrane is permeable to 2 ions, what will determine the resting potential of the membrane?
Its value will be determined by the relative permeability of the membrane to these two ions.
If a membrane is permeable to 2 ions, what will determine the resting potential of the membrane?
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The resting potential of a membrane permeable to two ions is determined primarily by the relative permeabilities of the membrane to each ion, as well as their respective concentrations inside and outside the cell. This is often described by the Goldman equation, which takes into account the permeability of the membrane to the specific ions and their concentration gradients. The more permeable an ion is, the more it will influence the resting potential. Thus, if the membrane is more permeable to potassium (K⁺) than to sodium (Na⁺), the resting potential will be closer to the equilibrium potential of potassium.