text: The resting potential must be established within a cell before the cell can be depolarized. There are many mechanisms by which a cell can establish a resting potential, however there is a typical pattern of generating this resting potential that many cells follow. The generation of a negative resting potential within the cell involves the utilization of ion channels, ion pumps, and voltage-gated ion channels by the cell. However, the process of generating the resting potential within the cell also creates an environment outside the cell that favors depolarization. The sodium potassium pump is largely responsible for the optimization of conditions on both the interior and the exterior of the cell for depolarization. By pumping three positively charged sodium ions (Na) out of the cell for every two positively charged potassium ions (K) pumped into the cell, not only is the resting potential of the cell established, but an unfavorable concentration gradient is created by increasing the concentration of sodium outside the cell and increasing the concentration of potassium within the cell. While there is an excessive amount of potassium in the cell and sodium outside the cell, the generated resting potential maintains the closure of voltage-gated ion channels in the plasma membrane. This not only prevents the diffusion of ions pumped across the membrane but also involves the activity of potassium leak channels, allowing a controlled passive efflux of potassium ions, which contributes to the establishment of the negative resting potential. Additionally, despite the high concentration of positively-charged potassium ions, most cells contain internal components (of negative charge), which accumulate to establish a negative inner charge.