Action potentials

Question 1

What is an action potential?

Answer 1

A term used to describe the period of excitation and recovery within a nerve cell, which operates on a all or nothing principle

Question 2

What does all or nothing term mean with a nerve cell?

Answer 2

That a nerve cell ever sends a signal down its length or it does not, there is mot in-between semi activation.

Question 3

What are the four phases of action potential?

Answer 3

The resting phase, the depolarising phase, the depolarising phase and the refractory period

Question 4

What occurs during the resting phase?

Answer 4

The nerve cell is ready to fire here, and is formed bu a build-uo if negative ions within and outside of the cell and roughly equates to -70mV, with the inside holding a negative charge. During this, the fluid outside of the nerve cell tends to be rich in sodium ions and chloride and ions, while within the cell is rich with potassium ions.