nerve impulse

nerve impulse

n.

A wave of physical and chemical excitation along a nerve fiber in response to a stimulus, accompanied by a transient change in electric potential in the membrane of the fiber.

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nerve impulse

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Physiology) the electrical wave transmitted along a nerve fibre, usually following stimulation of the nerve-cell body See also action potential

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

nerve impulse - the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber; "they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus" nervous impulse, neural impulse, impulse electrical discharge - a discharge of electricity action potential - the local voltage change across the cell wall as a nerve impulse is transmitted