Answer to Question #126658 in Human Anatomy and Physiology for Ramseyer Brace

Question

ATPase is an enzyme that can hydrolyse ATP and release the potential energy stored in the phosphate bond. How would a metabolic inhibitor that blocks ATPase function affect the resting potential of nerve cells?

Answer 1

The sodium pump is by itself electrogenic, three Na+ out for every two K+ that it imports. So if you block all sodium pump activity in a cell, you would see an immediate change in the membrane potential because you remove a hyperpolarizing current, in other words, the membrane potential becomes less negative.