refractory period

refractory period

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Physiology) a period during which a nerve or muscle is incapable of responding to stimulation, esp immediately following a previous stimulation. In an absolute refractory period there is a total inability to respond; in an effective or relative refractory period there is a response to very large stimuli

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refractory period

The period immediately following the transmission of an impulse in nerve or muscle, in which a neuron or muscle cell regains its ability to transmit another impulse. See more at action potential.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

refractory period - (neurology) the time after a neuron fires or a muscle fiber contracts during which a stimulus will not evoke a response neurology - the branch of medical science that deals with the nervous system biological time - the time of various biological processes