Question

Select the phrase in each pair that is likely to occur more rapidly in response to an extracellular signal.

a)changes in mRNA levels
b)changes in membrane potential

Answer 1

Changes in membrane potential are likely to occur more rapidly in response to an extracellular signal compared to changes in mRNA levels.

Step-by-step explanation:

When responding to an extracellular signal, changes in membrane potential are likely to occur more rapidly compared to changes in mRNA levels. Membrane potential refers to the difference in electrical charge across a cell membrane. It can be rapidly altered by the movement of ions, such as Na+ and K+. On the other hand, changes in mRNA levels involve transcription and translation processes, which generally take longer.