ACTION POTENTIALS Meaning and
Definition
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Action potentials are brief, rapid changes in the electrical potential across the membrane of a neuron or muscle cell that occur when a stimulus is received. Also known as nerve impulses or spikes, action potentials play a crucial role in cell communication throughout the nervous system and are responsible for transmitting information between cells.
Action potentials are generated by the coordinated opening and closing of specialized ion channels in the cell membrane. When a stimulus reaches a certain threshold, the cell membrane becomes depolarized, meaning that it becomes less negative in its internal electrical charge. This depolarization triggers a cascade of ion movements, particularly the rapid influx of sodium ions followed by the efflux of potassium ions, causing a rapid reversal of the membrane potential. This rapid change in potential is what constitutes an action potential.
Action potentials are characterized by their all-or-nothing nature, meaning that once the threshold is exceeded, the action potential fires at its full strength. They are also self-propagating, meaning that once initiated, an action potential travels down the axon of a neuron without losing its strength.
The frequency and pattern of action potentials encode the information being transmitted. Different stimuli can elicit varying patterns of action potentials, allowing for the differentiation of sensory inputs and the integration of information within the nervous system.
Overall, action potentials are essential for cellular communication, facilitating the transmission of signals between neurons, muscle cells, and other excitable cells throughout the body.
Common Misspellings for ACTION POTENTIALS
- zction potentials
- sction potentials
- wction potentials
- qction potentials
- axtion potentials
- avtion potentials
- aftion potentials
- adtion potentials
- acrion potentials
- acfion potentials
- acgion potentials
- acyion potentials
- ac6ion potentials
- ac5ion potentials
- actuon potentials
- actjon potentials
- actkon potentials
- actoon potentials
- act9on potentials
- act8on potentials
Etymology of ACTION POTENTIALS
The term "action potential" was coined by the British physiologist Keith Lucas in 1948. The etymology of the term can be broken down as follows:
1. Action: Derived from the Latin word "actio" meaning "a doing, a performance, an act". In the context of biology and physiology, it refers to the process or event of something happening or occurring.
2. Potential: Derived from the Latin word "potentialis", meaning "capable of being", which itself comes from the Latin word "potentia", meaning "power, might, force". In the context of action potentials, it refers to the electrical potential or the voltage difference across the cell membrane of a neuron.
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