Well, your question wasn't really so specific but...
In truth, the common conventions applied in general electrical circuits do pertain to electrochemical cells. In all electrochemical cells, oxidation occurs at the anode, while reduction occurs at the anode. What this means is that electrons are lost at the anode and flow towards the cathode. However, the normal convention is that although the electrons flow toward the "positive" terminal, CURRENT actually is defined as the flow as positive charge, the opposite direction of electron flow.
In galvanic cells, the anode is negative, the cathode, positive, and the electron flow is from anode to cathode, but the CURRENT flow ( I think) would actually be cathode to anode.
In electrolytic cells, the anode is positive, and the cathode is negative; in this case, the electrons still frlow from anode to cathode, but because electron flow normally goes toward the positive terminal (cathode in galvanic) and in this case, electron flow is towards the negative terminal, electrolytic cells must be driven by an external voltage source. However, once again, although the electrons flow from anode to cathode, the current itself is considered to flow in the opposite direction.
A good way to remember which is which is to just memorize galvanic cells; electrolytic cells, and for that matter, gel electrophoresis plates, are similar.
Galvanic : aNode is Negative, cathode is positive
Electrolytic and GE: anode is positive, cathode is negative
Furthermore, in both, anode is the site of oxidation, cathode the site of reduction, but, unlike galvanic cells, electrolytic cells require an input of energy. One last point, recharging a battery which is normally galvanic and runs spontaneously requires an input of voltage which must be at least equal to the cell voltage were it to be totally charged. In other words, to recharge what is normally a galvanic cell, we essentially create an electrolytic cell temporarily, to force a nonspontaneous reverse reaction to occur, by providing an input of energy.
Hope this Helps!
