alleryStart learning →What is the electrical state of the interior of a living cell relative to the fluid outside it?
AElectrically positive relative to the outside
BElectrically negative relative to the outside
CElectrically neutral in every living cell
DPositive in animals and negative in plants
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Electrically negative relative to the outside
1. Cells contain proteins that do not cross the membrane and are mostly negatively charged.
2. The interior of living cells is therefore electrically negative with respect to the extracellular fluid.
3. This difference of charge across the membrane is the electrical gradient.
4. The imbalance is a general feature of living cells, so it does not split along animal and plant lines.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 5 "Structure and Function of Plasma Membranes", section 5.3 Active Transport_
Keep practising Structure and Function of Plasma Membranes
Browse all Structure and Function of Plasma Membranes questions for Ontario Secondary (Grade 9-12), or explore more Biology topics.
Related questions
Knock out the transport mythsCatch what slips through by diffusionMembrane transport bingoPassive or active transport?Which of these is given as an example of exocytosis in the body?Potocytosis differs from ordinary pinocytosis in using which coating protein?Which protein coats the inward-facing surface of the membrane and stabilises it during phaWhich white blood cell removes invading microorganisms by surrounding and engulfing them?