A drug will prevent an action potential if it ____.
A) lowers the threshold of the membrane
B) blocks the movement of potassium across the membrane
C) blocks the movement of sodium across the membrane
D) increases the movement of sodium across the membrane

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Action potentials are generated by the movement of ions such as sodium and potassium across the membrane. Blocking the movement of sodium across the membrane will prevent the generation of an action potential. Lowering the threshold of the membrane (A) would make it easier to generate an action potential, while blocking the movement of potassium (B) would more likely result in hyperpolarization and inhibiting the generation of action potentials. Increasing the movement of sodium (D) would lead to an increase in the generation of action potentials.

A Drug Will Prevent an Action Potential If It ____