Final answer:
Opening channels for an anion with an equilibrium potential of -80 mV leads to hyperpolarization, making the cell interior more negative than the resting potential of -70 mV.
Step-by-step explanation:
When channels for an anion with an equilibrium potential of -80 mV open, the resting membrane potential of -70 mV will be affected.
As these anion channels open, the influx of the negatively charged anions will cause the inside of the membrane to become more negative, leading to hyperpolarization.
Hyperpolarization occurs because the membrane potential moves further away from the threshold of -70 mV, towards the equilibrium potential of the anion, leading to a larger difference in charge across the membrane.
During the action potential, repolarization is the process where the membrane potential returns towards the resting potential of -70 mV but can overshoot due to the delayed closing of potassium channels.
This overshoot results in hyperpolarization, which makes the interior of the cell momentarily more negative than the resting potential.
The resting membrane potential is maintained by contributions from various proteins in the membrane, including leakage channels and the Na+/K+ pump, which restore the ions that slowly move in or out of the cell, contributing to the stability of the -70 mV resting potential.