Definition

1. Noun:
   • The electrical signal that travels along a nerve cell: A "neural impulse" is the fundamental electrochemical signal by which neurons (nerve cells) communicate. It is a rapid, temporary change in the electrical potential across a neuron's membrane that moves from one end of the cell to the other.

Usage

• The term "neural impulse" is used in scientific and medical contexts, particularly in neuroscience, biology, and psychology, to describe the basic unit of communication in the nervous system.
• It is a countable noun. You can have a single impulse or multiple impulses.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The strength of a stimulus is coded by the frequency of neural impulses.
  • A neural impulse travels from the sensory receptor to the spinal cord in a fraction of a second.
  • Researchers measured the neural impulses generated in response to the visual cue.

Advanced Usage

• "Transmission of neural impulses": This phrase describes the process of these signals being sent and received between neurons.
  • Neurotransmitters are chemicals that facilitate the transmission of neural impulses across a synapse.
• "To generate/fire a neural impulse": This describes the initiation of the signal.
  • When the neuron's threshold is reached, it will fire a neural impulse.

Variants and Related Words

• Nerve impulse: A direct synonym; the terms are often used interchangeably.
  • The nerve impulse propagated down the axon.
• Action potential: A more specific technical term for the same event, focusing on the precise electrical characteristics.
  • The graph shows the phases of an action potential.
• Spike (informal in neuroscience): Sometimes used colloquially to refer to a single neural impulse.
  • The recording showed a spike of activity.

Synonyms

• Nerve impulse
• Action potential (technical synonym)
• Electrical signal (in a neural context)

Related Phrases

• Neural transmission: The overall process of sending signals through the nervous system.
  • The drug affects the speed of neural transmission.
• Neural pathway: The route followed by a series of neural impulses.
  • Repeated practice strengthens the neural pathway for that skill.

Noun

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