Final answer:
The sodium-potassium pump is a mechanism of active transport that moves sodium ions out of cells and potassium ions into cells. It maintains a difference in charge across the cell membrane of the neuron.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a neuron is not actively transmitting a nerve impulse, it is in a resting state, ready to transmit a nerve impulse. During the resting state, the sodium-potassium pump maintains a difference in charge across the cell membrane of the neuron. The sodium-potassium pump is a mechanism of active transport that moves sodium ions out of cells and potassium ions into cells. The sodium-potassium pump moves both ions from areas of lower to higher concentration, using energy in ATP and carrier proteins in the cell membrane.