Nerve impulses are extremely slow compared to the speed of electricity, where the electric field can propagate with a speed on the order of 50–99% of the speed of light; however, it is very fast compared to the speed of blood flow, with some myelinated neurons conducting at speeds up to 120 m/s (432 km/h or 275 mph).

When a nerve impulse arrives at the end of the axon, neurotransmitters are released and travel to the dendrite of another neuron, carrying the nerve impulse from one neuron to the next. When a nerve impulse reaches the end of an axon, the axon releases chemicals called neurotransmitters.

A nerve impulse is generated when the stimulus is strong. This stimulus triggers the electrical and chemical changes in the neuron. This depolarization results in an action potential which causes the nerve impulse to move along the length of the axon. This depolarization of the membrane occurs along the nerve.

Stages of Neural Impulses

• Depolarization: A stimulus starts the depolarization of the membrane. Depolarization, also referred to as the “upswing,” is caused when positively charged sodium ions rush into a nerve cell.
• Repolarization.
• Refractory Phase.

Terms in this set (6)

• Resting neuron: The plasma membrane at rest is polarized.
• Action potential initiation and generation: A stimulus depolarizes the neurons membrane.
• Action potential initiation and generation:
• Propagation of the action potential:
• Repolarization:
• Repolarization:

The following four steps describe the initiation of an impulse to the “resetting” of a neuron to prepare for a second stimulation:

• Action potential. Unlike a graded potential, an action potential is capable of traveling long distances.
• Repolarization.
• Hyperpolarization.
• Refractory period.

Action Potential A nerve impulse is a sudden reversal of the electrical charge across the membrane of a resting neuron. The reversal of charge is called an action potential. It begins when the neuron receives a chemical signal from another cell.

A nerve impulse begins when a neuron receives a chemical stimulus. The nerve impulse travels down the axon membrane as an electrical action potential to the axon terminal. The axon terminal releases neurotransmitters that carry the nerve impulse to the next cell.

“Actional potential” is the technical term used to describe a nerve impulse. This process also requires energy from the neuron, which must maintain the activity of the ion pumps that rebalance the charges on either side of the membrane after an action potential has passed.

A nerve impulse is the way nerve cells (neurons) communicate with one another. Nerve impulses are mostly electrical signals along the dendrites to produce a nerve impulse or action potential. The action potential is the result of ions moving in and out of the cell.

A nerve impulse is the relaying of a coded signal from a nerve cell to an effector (a muscle cell, a gland cell or another nerve cell) in response to a stimulus. For instance, in neuromuscular junction, the nerve impulse moves along the axon of a nerve cell to instruct a muscle cell to contract.

A nerve impulse is the electric signals that pass along the dendrites to generate a nerve impulse or an action potential. An action potential is due to the movement of ions in and out of the cell. Transmission of signals internally between the cells is achieved through a synapse.

The characteristic properties of the nerve impulse are: electrical excitability; non-decremental or uniform conduction rate of impulse under uniform conditions; all-or-none response; and absolute refractoriness during response.

An action potential, also called a nerve impulse, is an electrical charge that travels along the membrane of a neuron. It can be generated when a neuron’s membrane potential is changed by chemical signals from a nearby cell.

The neuron has a single long part, called the axon, which transmit the nerve impulse to body parts. The neuron has short, branched parts called dendrites. Many nerve fibers combine together by connective tissue and form a nerve. Nerve impulse enables animals to move rapidly in response to stimuli.

Axon is a tube-like structure that carries electrical impulse from the cell body to the axon terminals that passes the impulse to another neuron.

When a stimulus is applied, the polarity at that site of the axon is reversed i.e. the outer side becomes negatively charged and the inner side becomes positively charged and is known as depolarization. The electrical potential difference produced at this site is known as an action potential or a nerve impulse.

Nervous tissue is found in the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. It is responsible for coordinating and controlling many body activities. It stimulates muscle contraction, creates an awareness of the environment, and plays a major role in emotions, memory, and reasoning.

The channels present in the membrane are first to open in order to let in the sodium ions. This starts the nerve impulse. This stage is called the depolarization of the membrane. Then the channels are open in order to move out the potassium ions this leads to the end of the nerve impulse.

The synapse, rather, is that small pocket of space between two cells, where they can pass messages to communicate. A single neuron may contain thousands of synapses. In fact, one type of neuron called the Purkinje cell, found in the brain’s cerebellum, may have as many as one hundred thousand synapses.

synapses. In the nervous system, a synapse is a structure that permits a neuron (or nerve cell) to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron or to the target effector cell.

What is another word for synapse?

A synaptic cleft is a space that separates two neurons. It forms a junction between two or more neurons and helps nerve impulse pass from one neuron to the other.