So there are two opposing gradients affecting membranes: one for concentration, and one for voltage. But, and this is a big BUT:
The gradients only have an effect IF ions can move through the membrane. If you put a brick wall in place of the membrane, you could have all sorts of differences in concentration and voltage, but those differences won’t have any effect in the real world. A membrane with no open channels is actually a lot like a brick wall.
| closed channels: | open channels: | |
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We’ll see how this plays out in the equations soon…