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How a nerve carries a signal.

How does a nerve decide to send a signal?

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Human anatomy and physiology

How a nerve carries a signal.

How does a nerve decide to send a signal?

Setting up the mechanism…

Threshold: -55mV
Peak potential: -70mV

More

Illustrative spike rate: 0Hz

Connect the neuronal signal route first.

How does a nerve decide to send a signal?

A stimulus must raise membrane potential to a threshold. Above that threshold an action potential has a roughly fixed size; stronger input can increase spike frequency. The signal travels electrically along the axon, then crosses a chemical synapse.

Threshold reached → all-or-none action potential

What this model simplifies

Resting potential −70 mV and threshold −55 mV are illustrative. Above-threshold peak +30 mV; frequency trend is schematic. Synaptic chemical transfer is distinguished from electrical axon propagation.

Read the source · ninds.nih.gov ↗

Put it to work.

Send an all-or-none signal above threshold across a connected synapse.

Make it work.

Find the stimulus threshold for a nerve signal.

Run

Fine adjustments 1

Depolarizing stimulusmV