all-or-none law

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Thân thiện
Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A principle in neurophysiology: The "all-or-none law" states that a nerve cell or muscle fiber responds completely to a stimulus if the stimulus reaches a certain threshold. If the threshold is not reached, there is no response at all. The strength of the response is independent of the stimulus strength above the threshold.
Usage Examples
  • Noun:
    • The all-or-none law explains why a weak stimulus above threshold produces an action potential of the same magnitude as a strong one.
    • According to the all-or-none law, a neuron either fires at full strength or does not fire at all.
Advanced Usage
  • In a broader scientific context: While classically applied to neurons and muscle fibers, the principle is sometimes referenced metaphorically in other fields to describe processes with binary (on/off) outcomes.
    • The digital circuit operates on a principle analogous to the all-or-none law.
Variants and Related Words
  • All-or-nothing principle (n): A synonymous phrase for the all-or-none law.
    • The contraction of a heart muscle cell follows an all-or-nothing principle.
  • Action potential (n): The electrical impulse whose generation is governed by the all-or-none law.
  • Threshold potential (n): The critical level of depolarization required to trigger an action potential, central to the all-or-none law.
Synonyms
  • All-or-nothing response: A response that is either complete or absent.
  • Binary response: A reaction with only two possible states.
Related Idioms/Phrases
  • "All or nothing": A common idiom derived from the scientific principle, meaning a total commitment or a situation with no intermediate outcome.
    • Their approach to the negotiation was all or nothing. (Note: This is the idiomatic usage, not the specific scientific law.)
Noun
  1. (neurophysiology) a nerve impulse resulting from a weak stimulus is just as strong as a nerve impulse resulting from a strong stimulus