Health and medicine: Membrane potentials - part 2

Find out how a cell that is permeable to one ion can become charged (either positive or negative) if there is permeability and a concentration gradient. Rishi is a pediatric infectious disease physician and works at Khan Academy.

Health and medicine

The medical world can be a confusing place. Patients, their families, and even students entering health fields might feel overwhelmed by the large vocabularies and complicated explanations. We hope to make understanding the medical world a bit easier. Look around! These videos do not provide medical advice and are for informational purposes only. The videos are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read or seen in any Khan Academy video.

Heart depolarization

Your heart relies on the flow of electricity to maintain a steady, consistent beat - like an automatic pump that maintains a regular rate and rhythm throughout your life! There are specialized heart cells that allow positive current to travel quickly throughout the heart muscle. In these videos, we’ll check out the flow of this positive charge on a macroscopic and microscopic level.

Topic: Science

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