What is another name for a nerve impulse?

What is another name for a nerve impulse?

• A. Action potential
• B. Resting potential
• C. Synaptic transmission
• D. Neural wave

Answer: (A)

The nerve impulse is the electrical signal that travels along a neuron, and its specific name is the action potential. When a neuron is stimulated, the membrane potential rapidly depolarizes as voltage-gated sodium channels open, causing a brief positive spike, followed by repolarization as potassium channels open to restore the resting state. This wave of depolarization propagates along the axon toward the synapse, enabling communication between neurons. The resting potential is merely the baseline negative state when the neuron isn’t firing, and synaptic transmission refers to the chemical signaling across the synapse to the next cell, not the impulse moving inside the neuron. Neural wave isn’t a standard term for this process.

The nerve impulse is the electrical signal that travels along a neuron, and its specific name is the action potential. When a neuron is stimulated, the membrane potential rapidly depolarizes as voltage-gated sodium channels open, causing a brief positive spike, followed by repolarization as potassium channels open to restore the resting state. This wave of depolarization propagates along the axon toward the synapse, enabling communication between neurons. The resting potential is merely the baseline negative state when the neuron isn’t firing, and synaptic transmission refers to the chemical signaling across the synapse to the next cell, not the impulse moving inside the neuron. Neural wave isn’t a standard term for this process.