nerve impulse

American  

noun

Physiology.

1. a progressive wave of electric and chemical activity along a nerve fiber that stimulates or inhibits the action of a muscle, gland, or other nerve cell.

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nerve impulse British  

noun

1. the electrical wave transmitted along a nerve fibre, usually following stimulation of the nerve-cell body See also action potential

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Etymology

Origin of nerve impulse

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

The authors propose that the Neanderthal variants may sensitise sensory neurons by altering the threshold at which a nerve impulse is generated.

From Science Daily • Oct. 10, 2023

A nerve impulse opens the Ca+2 channel, which makes Ca+2 enter the cell and depolarizes the membrane.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

A single photon can actually stimulate the retina, for example, by altering a receptor molecule that then triggers a nerve impulse.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Assuming one nerve impulse must end before another can begin, what is the maximum firing rate of a nerve in impulses per second?

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

All functions of the brain, all forms of nerve impulse are modifications of the simple reflex action, the automatic transfer of sensations derived from external objects into movements of the body.

From The Story of the Innumerable Company, and Other Sketches by Jordan, David Starr