Definition

1. Noun:
   • A brief electrical signal that travels along a neuron: A "nerve impulse" is the fundamental means of communication within the nervous system, involving a rapid, self-propagating change in electrical potential across a nerve cell's membrane.

Usage

• The term "nerve impulse" is used to describe the electrochemical event that carries information through the nervous system. It is a technical term common in biology, physiology, and medicine.
• It is typically used in singular or plural form to discuss the transmission of signals.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The speed of a nerve impulse can exceed 100 meters per second.
  • Pain is perceived when a nerve impulse reaches the brain.
  • The experiment measured the frequency of nerve impulses in response to the stimulus.

Advanced Usage

• "Generation of a nerve impulse": Refers to the process by which a neuron initiates an action potential.
  • The influx of sodium ions is crucial for the generation of a nerve impulse.
• "Conduction of the nerve impulse": Describes the propagation of the signal along the axon.
  • Myelin sheaths increase the speed of nerve impulse conduction.

Variants and Related Words

• Action potential (n): This is a more specific, synonymous term for the electrical event constituting a nerve impulse.
  • An action potential is an all-or-none event.
• Neural signal (n): A broader term that can encompass nerve impulses and other forms of neuronal communication.
• Synaptic transmission (n): The process by which a nerve impulse is communicated from one neuron to the next across a synapse.

Synonyms

• Action potential: The rapid rise and fall in voltage across a neuronal membrane.
• Neural impulse: An alternative term with identical meaning.

Related Phrases

• Transmission of impulses: The sending of nerve signals from one point to another.
  • The spinal cord facilitates the transmission of impulses between the brain and the body.
• Propagate an impulse: To conduct a nerve signal along a fiber.
  • The axon is specialized to propagate impulses efficiently.

Noun

1. the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber
   • they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus