Which of the following statements is not true?
A) Membrane potential is an electrical gradient across a membrane.
B) A decrease in membrane potential is referred to as membrane depolarization.
C) The term repolarization is defined as the reestablishment of the original membrane potential.
D) The diffusion of potassium ions out of a nerve cell make the inside of the membrane negative.
E) The sodium channel in muscle and nerve cells is a voltage-gated channel.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The diffusion of potassium ions out of a nerve cell actually contributes to the negative charge inside the cell, maintaining the membrane potential, not making it negative. The statement as phrased suggests a misunderstanding of the role of potassium ions. Potassium ions moving out of the cell do indeed contribute to the negative charge inside, but this is a part of the normal resting membrane potential, not a process that actively makes the inside negative in a novel sense.

Which of the Following Statements Is Not True