Nerve Cell Membranes Have Electric Fields Associated with a Charge

question 39

Essay

Nerve cell membranes have electric fields associated with a charge of the opposite sign on the inside and outside surfaces of the membrane. The walls of the membrane will therefore experience attraction toward each other, resulting in a compression of the membrane. Assuming there are 2 × 10⁴ charges, each of magnitude e (= 1.6 × 10^-19 C), on the membrane, and that the cell has a diameter of d = 2 µm, estimate the force per unit area of this compression.

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