What is the polarized membrane state? How is it maintained? (Note the relative roles of both passive and active mechanisms.)

Video transcript

Hey, everyone. Let's take a look at this question together. If the resting membrane potential increases and becomes more negative. The probability of nerve impulse blank. Is it answer choice A decreases. Answer choice B increases. Answer choice C remains the same or answer choice D becomes zero. Let's work this problem out together to try to figure out what happens to the probability of a nerve impulse as the resting membrane potential increases and becomes more negative. So first, let's recall what the resting membrane potential is. And we know that the resting membrane potential is the membrane potential of a neuron when it does not receive any electrical signal. And the resting membrane potential is typically around negative millivolts. And as this resting membrane potential increases and becomes more negative, it becomes more difficult or the neuron to depolarize and it becomes more difficult for the neuron to generate an action potential or that nerve impulse. So as the resting membrane potential increases and becomes more negative or more difficult to depolarize the probability of a nerve impulse decreases, which is answer choice. A. So answer choice A is the correct answer because as the resting membrane potential increases and becomes more negative. It is further away from the threshold potential that is required to generate that nerve impulse. So the probability of the nerve impulse decreases. I hope you found this video to be helpful. Thank you and goodbye.