Equilibrium & Potentials

Let us consider a basic schematic membrane, with one side of it being the intracellular side and the other side being the extracellular one. We use a voltmeter, which has a ground electrode that we place outside of the cell and the other end of the electrode that we place inside of the cell, to measure the difference in voltage between the intracellular and extracellular … Continue reading Equilibrium & Potentials

Diffusion & Electrostatics

To completely understand resting potential, we need to take a look two basic phenomena in nature: diffusion and electrostatics.  Diffusion is the process by which particles spread out or mix, for instance, in a solution. Take for example a beaker of water. Imagine that you drop a bit of dye into the beaker and wait. After the initial ‘splash’ of the dye falling into the … Continue reading Diffusion & Electrostatics