Let's say we have finally discovered life on Venus. Scientists are investigating a newly discovered life form: a single-celled organism found in the swampy canals. You have been contracted to perform an electrophysiology study. Using intracellular electrodes to measure the electrical charge inside the cell, you find it has a resting membrane potential of -45 mV when the outside fluid is set to 0 mV. Additionally, you have determined ion concentrations and listed them below.
| [ ] in mOsm/L | Cell | Swamp |
| K+ | 5 | 150 |
| Na+ | 15 | 175 |
| Cl- | 40 | 40 |
You have used new molecular biology techniques to insert protein channels into the cell membrane that allow only Na
+ and Cl
- to pass. Predict which ion(s) will move, what direction it (they) will move, and what force(s) is/are acting on it (them).
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