Final answer:
Contractile cells such as heart muscles have a stable resting membrane potential that does not spontaneously depolarize. It is maintained by a balance of ion leakage and pumping, keeping the cell's potential between -50mv to -70mv, while heart cells have values of approximately -80 mV to -90 mV. Changes in this potential, through depolarization and repolarization, are necessary to transmit electrical signals.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cells that have a stable resting membrane potential and do not spontaneously depolarize are typically contractile cells, such as those found in the heart muscles (atria and ventricles). The resting potential of these cells is critical for their normal function. It is a dynamic state maintained by ion gradients across the plasma membrane, balanced by ion leakage and ion pumping. The resting membrane potential is generally between -50mv to -70mv for most cells, with contractile cells of the heart being approximately -80 mV in the atria and -90 mV in the ventricles.
Without any outside influence, the resting potential remains stable, indicating that these cells do not depolarize unless stimulated. For this potential to change, which is necessary to create an electrical signal, there must be a flow of ions across the membrane, resulting in depolarization, repolarization, and hyperpolarization phases of an action potential. These steps are essential to both initiate and halt the transmission of electrical signals within the cell, thereby allowing physiological responses to chemical or other signals.