6. Describe the term “steady state” in reference to the resting membrane potential.

Steady state means that the cell is in an unvarying state. Steady state occurs when the flux of ions
in one direction is balanced by an equal flux in the opposite direction in this case, the
intracellular concentration for each ion type is neither increasing nor decreasing.

11. (a) What ions did the control extracellular fluid contain? (b) What were their respective
concentrations? (c) In reference to the present investigation, why did the extracellular control
fluid contain these ions at these respective concentrations?
a. The control extracellular fluid contained Na+, K+ and A- ions.
b. Their respective concentrations were: Na+ = 150mM, K+= 5mM & A-= 0mM.
c. The extracellular control fluid contained Na+, K+, and A- at these respective concentrations
because it is supposed to mimic the concentration of these ions. There is a high concentration of
Na+ and low concentration of K+ in the body.

16. (a) Compare and contrast the data points obtained in position 2 vs. position 4 when
the neuron was bathed in extracellular control fluid; (b) based on this comparison, what can you
conclude about resting membrane potential in the cultured neuron?
a. The voltage measured at position 2 (cell body intracellular) was -70mV. The voltage at
position 4 (axon intracellular) was also -70 mV.
b) Based on this comparison, I can conclude that no matter the location in the cell you the put the
microelectrode the same voltage will be obtained.

21. Based on your observations and data collected in the present investigation, provide
a detailed description of: (a) (E K+) and (E Na+); (b) the role (E K+) and (E Na+) play in the
establishment of resting membrane potential; and (c) the role the Na+/K+ ATPase plays in the
establishment of resting membrane potential.
a)The EK+ represents the electrical potential necessary to keep K+ from diffusing out of the cell,
down its chemical gradient. In the investigation, the EK becomes -70 mV when the outside K+
concentration is 40 mM. In other words, when K+ is elevated 5-fold outside of the cell, the
chemical gradient driving K+ out of the cell is reduced and therefore a less negative voltage is
required to keep K+ from diffusing out of the cell. Because the Na+ concentration is higher
outside the cell, this ion diffuses down its chemical gradient into the cell. When the positive
change counterbalances the chemical diffusion force driving Na+ into the cell, there will be no
net movement of Na+ into the cell, and Na+ will therefore be in electrochemical equilibrium.
The membrane potential required to produce this electrochemical equilibrium is called the
equilibrium potential for ENa+

b) The role EK+ and ENa+ play in resting membrane is that ENa+ will try to drag the membrane
potential toward its (positive) equilibrium potential whilst EK+ will try to drag the membrane
potential toward its (negative) equilibrium potential.

c) The role of Na+,K+-ATPase in the establishment of resting membrane potential is to transport

ions across the membrane to maintain the ion concentrations across the membrane.