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Membrane Potential

Membrane potential

A voltage difference across a cell membrane created by unequal ion distributions and selective permeability.

Overview

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When charged particles are unevenly distributed across a membrane, the two sides can have different electrical charge. That voltage can influence how ions move.

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ConceptProton-motive Forcecontributes to
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Membrane Potential · ConceptCONTRIBUTES TO →Proton-motive Force · Concept

Recommended Reading

Trusted references for learning more about Membrane Potential.

textbookMembrane Transport and Electrical PropertiesMolecular Biology of the Cell · NCBI Bookshelf textbookThe Mechanism of Oxidative PhosphorylationThe Cell · NCBI Bookshelf
Research Claims

Membrane voltage is a dynamic electrical state shaped by conductances, pumps, and geometry. Mitochondrial inner-membrane potential is one component of proton-motive force, not the whole of it.