Coupling Between Mechanical Stability and Bioelectric Homeostasis in Living Cells: A Theoretical Bioenergetic Framework

Mechanical integrity and membrane bioelectricity are generally investigated as separate properties of living cells. This theoretical paper proposes that both represent complementary stabilization mechanisms of the same open nonequilibrium system. Mechanical reinforcement of the plasma membrane through cytoskeletal organization and restoration of membrane potential through ion transport are interpreted as parallel energy-dependent processes whose common objective is the preservation of cellular homeostasis.