Action Potential (Noun)
Meaning
The local voltage change across the cell wall as a nerve impulse is transmitted.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural events.
Examples
- The rapid influx of sodium ions during the initial depolarization phase of an action potential is what triggers the process of nerve signal transmission.
- Specialized ion channels in the cell membrane are responsible for generating the rapid changes in voltage that are characteristic of an action potential.
- During the repolarization phase of an action potential, potassium ions rush out of the cell, contributing to the restoration of the resting membrane potential.
- The speed and efficiency of neural communication rely on the precise regulation of the action potential, which is influenced by various external and internal factors.
- The wave-like propagation of an action potential down the length of the axon is a critical step in transmitting information from one neuron to another or to a target cell.