Resting potential is the electrical state of a neuron when it isn't firing, where the inside of the cell is more negatively charged (about -70 millivolts) than the outside, leaving it primed and ready to send a signal.
Resting potential is the neuron's "on standby" mode. When a neuron isn't sending a signal, the inside of its membrane carries a slightly negative charge compared to the outside, usually around -70 millivolts. That charge gap exists because ions (charged particles like sodium and potassium) are unevenly distributed across the cell membrane.
Think of resting potential as a charged battery that hasn't been switched on yet. The neuron isn't doing nothing. It's actively maintaining that imbalance so it can fire the instant it gets a strong enough signal. This sits in Unit 2: Cognition, specifically topic 2.3 (the neuron) and 2.4 (neural firing), where the basic biology of a single cell sets up everything else about how the brain processes information.
Resting potential is the starting line for neural communication, and you can't understand how neurons fire without it. It anchors topic 2.4 (Neural Firing) and topic 2.3 (Overview of the Nervous System and the Neuron) in Unit 2. The whole point of resting potential is what happens next: a neuron at rest is a neuron ready to fire. Once incoming signals push the charge past threshold, the resting state flips into an action potential. So this term is the baseline every other firing concept builds on, from threshold to hyperpolarization to the all-or-none response.
Keep studying AP Psychology Unit 2
Action Potential (Unit 2)
Resting potential is the calm before the spike. The neuron sits at about -70 mV until a strong enough signal flips it into the action potential, the rapid electrical surge that actually sends the message down the axon. No resting state, no firing.
Threshold (Unit 2)
Threshold is the trigger point between resting potential and firing. The neuron stays at rest until incoming signals push the charge to about -55 mV. Hit that line and the action potential launches; fall short and the neuron stays quiet.
Hyperpolarization (Unit 2)
After firing, the neuron briefly overshoots and becomes even more negative than its resting potential. This is the refractory period reset, where the cell pulls itself back to -70 mV before it can fire again.
Acetylcholine (Unit 2)
Neurotransmitters are what nudge a resting neuron toward firing. When acetylcholine binds to receptors, it shifts ion flow and pushes the charge toward threshold, linking the chemistry of synapses to the electrical state you're studying here.
On the multiple-choice section, expect stems that test whether you know resting potential is the neuron's quiet, charged baseline (negative inside, around -70 mV) and not the firing itself. Practice questions ask things like "What is true about resting potential in a neuron?" and contrast it with the change in charge that prompts a neuron to fire (the action potential). One tougher prompt even asks you to counter-argue the claim that resting potential is solely due to ion concentration gradients, so be ready to discuss the sodium-potassium pump and selective membrane permeability, not just ion levels. You won't write a full FRQ on resting potential alone, but you should be able to place it correctly in the firing sequence if a free-response item asks you to explain how a neuron transmits a signal.
Resting potential is the neuron NOT firing (a stable negative charge, about -70 mV). Action potential is the neuron firing (a rapid spike in charge that travels down the axon). Resting is the standby state; action is the message. Mix these up and you'll miss the easy MCQ points.
Resting potential is the electrical state of a neuron when it is NOT firing, with the inside more negative than the outside at roughly -70 millivolts.
The negative charge comes from an uneven distribution of ions across the membrane, maintained partly by the sodium-potassium pump and selective permeability, not just concentration gradients alone.
A neuron at rest is primed and ready; it fires the moment incoming signals push the charge past threshold (about -55 mV).
Resting potential is the baseline that the action potential, threshold, and hyperpolarization all build on in Unit 2.
On the exam, the key move is distinguishing resting potential (quiet, charged) from action potential (the actual firing surge).
Resting potential is the electrical state of a neuron when it isn't sending a signal. The inside of the cell membrane is more negatively charged than the outside, usually around -70 millivolts, leaving the neuron charged and ready to fire.
No. Resting potential is the neuron at rest, holding a stable negative charge around -70 mV. Action potential is the neuron actively firing, a rapid spike in charge that travels down the axon. Resting is standby; action is the message.
Resting potential is the steady -70 mV state of a quiet neuron. Threshold is the trigger point, around -55 mV, that the charge must reach to start an action potential. The neuron stays at resting potential until incoming signals push it to threshold.
Not entirely, and the exam may ask you to argue this. Concentration gradients matter, but the sodium-potassium pump and the membrane's selective permeability to certain ions also keep the neuron at its negative resting charge.
It's the foundation of neural firing in Unit 2 (topics 2.3 and 2.4). You can't explain how a neuron sends a signal without starting from its resting state, so MCQ stems often test whether you can tell resting potential apart from the action potential.