Definition: A portion of a line which starts at a point and goes off in a particular direction to infinity. Try this Adjust the ray below by dragging an orange dot and see how the ray AB behaves. Point A is the ray's endpoint.
Plant cell cross-section, showing the membrane. Animal cell cross-section, showing the membrane. Resting membrane potential is the difference in voltage of the fluids inside a cell and outside a cell, which is usually between -70 to -80 millivolts (mV). View slideshow of images above.
The main ions that determine the resting membrane potential are potassium, sodium, and chloride. The logic for how they determine the membrane potential is very similar, so I will explain how potassium contributes (it has the greatest conductance at rest).