What happens when a cell is connected to a conducting circuit element, and how does it produce an electric current?

When a cell is connected to a conducting circuit element, such as a wire, the chemical reactions within the cell’s electrodes and electrolyte produce an electric current. At the anode, electrons are released during oxidation reactions, creating a surplus of electrons. Simultaneously, at the cathode, reduction reactions accept these electrons. The flow of electrons from the anode to the cathode through the external circuit constitutes the electric current. Ions within the electrolyte facilitate charge balance. This continuous electrochemical process generates a potential difference, or voltage, driving the flow of electrons and establishing a current in the connected circuit element.