That potential difference is generated by the movement of ions, principally sodium and potassium across the membrane.

电势差是由离子运动造成的,特别是钠和钾的跨膜运动

耶鲁公开课 - 生物医学工程探索课程节选

They carry a potential, that is, if you could - if you had a tiny, tiny electrical meter, you could one put one electrode on one side of the cell membrane, on the extracellular side and one on the intracellular side and measure, you would measure a potential difference; just like a battery you would measure a potential difference.

它们带有电势,就是说,如果你能有一个足够小的电位计,可以把一个电极放在细胞膜一侧,假设放在细胞外的一侧,另一个电极放在细胞内侧并测量,你能测到一个电势差,就像电池那样能测到电势差

耶鲁公开课 - 生物医学工程探索课程节选