A neural action potential begins when a neuron’s electrical potential shifts to become less negative or positive; this event is designated as:
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Answer: A. an action potential
Explanation
An action potential begins when voltage-gated sodium channels open, causing rapid depolarization of the membrane. This electrical shift makes the interior of the neuron temporarily less negative and positive relative outside. Depolarization is the essential triggering event that propagates the electrical nerve impulse down the axon. Neurons maintain a resting potential where the interior is negatively charged compared to the extracellular fluid. Action potentials operate on an all-or-none principle, firing only when the membrane reaches threshold potential. Neurophysiology studies the movement of sodium and potassium ions across axon membranes during nerve firing.
Local anesthetics work by blocking sodium channels, preventing the generation of action potentials and pain signals. Neural communication across complex brain networks relies entirely on the rapid firing of electrical action potentials. Electroencephalography measures the combined electrical activity generated by millions of active cortical neurons. A resting potential describes the polarized state of an inactive neuron before depolarization occurs. Impulse facilitation is not the standard physiological term used to describe the initiation of depolarization. Inhibitory describes graded potentials that hyperpolarize the membrane, making action potentials less likely.
- Subject
- Psychology
- Category
- Psychology
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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