Question

Comparing intracellular to extracellular fluid, the intracellular fluid has a ________ charge relative to the outside of a cell due to the presence of more ________ in that solution.

A) negative : cations

B) negative : anions

C) neutral : cations

D) positive : cations

E) positive : anions

Answer 1

The intracellular fluid has a negative charge due to more anions, making the correct answer B) negative : anions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Comparing intracellular to extracellular fluid, the intracellular fluid has a negative charge relative to the outside of a cell due to the presence of more anions in that solution. Therefore, the correct answer is B) negative : anions. Inside the cell, there are higher concentrations of potassium (K+) ions and various negatively charged proteins and molecules, which contribute to this negative charge.

In contrast, the extracellular fluid typically has higher concentrations of sodium (Na+) ions. Additionally, the sodium-potassium pump plays a significant role in maintaining these ion concentrations by actively transporting K+ ions into the cell while expelling more Na+ ions out of the cell.