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action potential
noun
, Physiology.
- 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.
action potential
noun
- 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
action potential
/ ăk′shən /
- A momentary change in electrical potential on the surface of a neuron or muscle cell. Nerve impulses are action potentials. They either stimulate a change in polarity in another neuron or cause a muscle cell to contract.
action potential
- The rapid change in electric potential that parts of a nerve cell undergo when a nerve impulse is generated. Unlike ordinary electric current (see also current ), which consists of the flow of electrons , the action potential involves the movement of sodium and potassium ions across the cell membrane .
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Word History and Origins
Origin of action potential1
First recorded in 1925–30
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