action potential

A momentary change in electrical potential on the surface of a cell, especially of a nerve or muscle cell, that occurs when it is stimulated, resulting in the transmission of an electrical impulse.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

action potential

(Physiology) a localized change in electrical potential, from about –70 mV to +30 mV and back again, that occurs across a nerve fibre during transmission of a nerve impulse

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ac′tion poten`tial

the change in electrical potential that occurs between the inside and outside of a nerve or muscle fiber when it is stimulated, serving to transmit nerve signals. Compare nerve impulse.

action potential

- A brief electrical signal transmitted along a nerve or muscle fiber following stimulation.

See also related terms for nerve.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

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

nerve impulse, nervous impulse, neural impulse, impulse - the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber; "they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus"

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References in periodicals archive

Comparison of electrically evoked whole-nerve action potential and electrically evoked auditory brainstem response thresholds in Nucleus CI24R cochlear implant recipients.

Examination and Comparison of Electrically Evoked Compound Action Potentials and Electrically Evoked Auditory Brainstem Response Results of Children with Cochlear Implantation without Inner Ear Anomaly

A study on whether ERG channels contribute to the action potential of voices has not been found in the literature.

Biophysical Properties of ERG Channels in Octopus Neurons of Ventral Cochlear Nucleus

Axons can synapse at various neuron sites, which can have distinct effects on the generation of an action potential (Fig.

Synaptic functions and their disruption in schizophrenia: From clinical evidence to synaptic optogenetics in an animal model

[Loudness optimized registration of compound action potential in cochlear implant recipients].

Comparison of a Traditional and Novel Evoked Compound Action Potentials Recording Approach and Evoked Auditory Brainstem Responses in Pediatric Cochlear Implants Users

Though unexpected, this dynamic was also very familiar: it looked like an action potential.

Worms: Spiking Neurons, Brain Computation Clues

[12] Both latency and conduction velocity depend on the intact, and myelinated nerve fiber as the myelin and node is essential for the fast action potential propagation.

Peripheral nerve conduction tests in patients with hypothyroidism and healthy volunteers: A comparative study

Following the ideas of evolution equations (see for example [15,16], it is possible to derive also an evolution equation for the action potential [36]:

On the complexity of signal propagation in nerve fibres

CMAPs: compound muscle action potentials; Rt: right; Lt: left; Flex: flexor; Ext: extensor.

Corrigendum to "Mechanism of Restoration of Forelimb Motor Function after Cervical Spinal Cord Hemisection in Rats: Electrophysiological Verification"

Changes in membrane potential that occur during the different phases of the SAN action potential are produced by changes in the movement of various ions ([Na.sup.+], [Ca.sup.2+], and [K.sup.+]) across the cell membrane and by the movement of [Ca.sup.2+] in or out of the SR [30].

The Pattern of mRNA Expression Is Changed in Sinoatrial Node from Goto-Kakizaki Type 2 Diabetic Rat Heart

Whole-cell voltage-and current-clamp recordings were performed at 24-28[degrees]C to measure currents and action potentials, respectively, using an Axopatch 200B amplifier (Axon Instruments, Union City, CA, USA).

Dexmedetomidine Inhibits Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels via [alpha]2-Adrenoceptors in Trigeminal Ganglion Neurons

Our data corroborate the literature about antinociceptive activity (20) since local anesthesia could be considered a mechanism to interrupt pain through the blockade of action potential (12).

Effects of Lippia sidoides essential oil, thymol, p-cymene, myrcene and caryophyllene on rat sciatic nerve excitability