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AAT Bioquest

Why is the inside of a neuron negatively charged?

Posted July 3, 2024


Answer

There are three main factors that cause the inside of a neuron to be negatively charged: 

  1. The sodium-potassium pump expels three Sodium (Na+) ions from the cell for every two Potassium (K+) ions that it lets into the cell. 
  2. There is an abundance of negatively charged proteins inside the cell but a low concentration of negatively charged proteins outside the cell. 
  3. Neuronal membranes are more permeable to K+ than to Na+, leading to a net loss of K+ ions from the neuron, which significantly contributes to the negative charge inside. This is the most significant factor that contributes to the negative charge inside of a neuron. 
Additional resources

Introducing Membrane Charge and Membrane Potential to T Cell Signaling

Cell/Cytoplasmic Membrane Potential Activity & Analysis

Screen Quest™ Membrane Potential Assay Kit *Red Fluorescence*