(c) : In the resting nerve fibre, in the external medium (tissue fluid), sodium ions (Na+) predominate, whereas within the fibre (intracellular fluid) potassium ions (K+) predominate. Due to different concentrations of ions on the two sides of the membrane, sodium ions tend to passively diffuse into the nerve fibre and potassium ions tend to diffuse out of the nerve fibre down their electrochemical gradients. The membrane of a resting nerve fibre is, however, more permeable to potassium than to sodium. Because of this selective permeability of the membrane, potassium leaves the nerve fibre faster than sodium enters it. This makes the membrane of the resting nerve fibre polarized, extracellular fluid outside it being electropositive (positively charged) with respect to the cell contents inside it.