Across the plasma membrane, the Na+/K+ pump moves 3Na+ out…
Across the plasma membrane, the Na+/K+ pump moves 3Na+ out and 2K+ in, which helps to maintain an overall negative charge in the cell (i.e., membrane potential of approximately -70 mV). Given this fact, (1) briefly explain why all cells have a negative membrane potential across the plasma membrane, then (2) consider the following scenario: What would you expect to happen to the membrane transport and cell functions if the Na+/K+ pumps were handicapped?