Why is inward current negative? I understand that inward current is due to positive ions flowing into cell and the negative ions leave the cell. Why can't inward current be positive?

Question

anonymous · Answer

I am actually guessing that the microelectrode is measuring the current on the outside of cell, but I can't find evidence to prove my guess.

aaronq · Answer

are you talking about the conventions given to current? Physicists talk about current being the flow of positive charges, but chemists refer to the flow of electrons as the current. Just like the representation of dipole moments.

anonymous · Answer

Then, what about the current graph? I am actually distracted by the inward current graph as the positive ion enters cell, the graph is at the negative (the graph line is below x-axis).

i am studying electrophysiology as part of my module.

aaronq · Answer

can you post said graph?

anonymous · Answer

This is a graph from Hodgkin-Huxley experiment. I always saw this kind of graph in other electrophysiology experiment.

anonymous · Answer

This is another graph (I don't know where it comes from) which is related to the control of intracellular sodium concentration.