Definitions for action potential
ac·tion po·ten·tial

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. action potentialnoun

   the local voltage change across the cell wall as a nerve impulse is transmitted

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. action potentialnoun

   A short term change in the electrical potential that travels along a cell such as a nerve or muscle fiber.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. action potential

   An action potential is a rapid rise and subsequent fall in voltage or electrical potential, across the cell membrane of a neuron or muscle cell, which allows the transmission of electrical signals along the cell. This process involves a temporary and quick switch from negative to positive voltage, followed by an immediate return to the negative resting state. Action potentials play a crucial role in cell communication within the body, particularly in transmitting signals between neurons.

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Action potential

   In physiology, an action potential is a short-lasting event in which the electrical membrane potential of a cell rapidly rises and falls, following a consistent trajectory. Action potentials occur in several types of animal cells, called excitable cells, which include neurons, muscle cells, and endocrine cells, as well as in some plant cells. In neurons, they play a central role in cell-to-cell communication. In other types of cells, their main function is to activate intracellular processes. In muscle cells, for example, an action potential is the first step in the chain of events leading to contraction. In beta cells of the pancreas, they provoke release of insulin. Action potentials in neurons are also known as "nerve impulses" or "spikes", and the temporal sequence of action potentials generated by a neuron is called its "spike train". A neuron that emits an action potential is often said to "fire". Action potentials are generated by special types of voltage-gated ion channels embedded in a cell's plasma membrane. These channels are shut when the membrane potential is near the resting potential of the cell, but they rapidly begin to open if the membrane potential increases to a precisely defined threshold value. When the channels open, they allow an inward flow of sodium ions, which changes the electrochemical gradient, which in turn produces a further rise in the membrane potential. This then causes more channels to open, producing a greater electric current, and so on. The process proceeds explosively until all of the available ion channels are open, resulting in a large upswing in the membrane potential. The rapid influx of sodium ions causes the polarity of the plasma membrane to reverse, and the ion channels then rapidly inactivate. As the sodium channels close, sodium ions can no longer enter the neuron, and they are actively transported out of the plasma membrane. Potassium channels are then activated, and there is an outward current of potassium ions, returning the electrochemical gradient to the resting state. After an action potential has occurred, there is a transient negative shift, called the afterhyperpolarization or refractory period, due to additional potassium currents. This is the mechanism that prevents an action potential from traveling back the way it just came.

Matched Categories

1. • Nerve Impulse

How to pronounce action potential?

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Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of action potential in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of action potential in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=action potential
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Action_Potential
3. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
4. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=action potential