Question

After a cell is stimulated with a current-passing electrode, what happens?

1) The cell membrane becomes more permeable
2) The cell membrane becomes less permeable
3) The cell membrane remains unchanged
4) The cell membrane disintegrates

Answer 1

When a cell is stimulated with a current-passing electrode, the cell membrane temporarily becomes more permeable to specific ions, such as Na+. This causes depolarization of the cell membrane, followed by repolarization through the movement of K+ ions.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a cell is stimulated with a current-passing electrode, the cell membrane temporarily becomes more permeable to specific ions, such as Na+. This causes an influx of Na+ ions into the cell, leading to depolarization of the cell membrane. However, this depolarization is temporary, and the cell membrane quickly becomes impermeable to Na+ again. The movement of K+ ions then repolarizes the cell, restoring its resting potential.