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

Astrocytes regulate the chemical environment of the nerve cell, and oligodendrocytes insulate the axon so the electrical nerve impulse is transferred more efficiently.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

This includes her wristwatch, heart rate, cell metabolism rate, nerve impulse rate, and so on.

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

The instinct informing the central nervous mechanism how to apportion the discharges of nerve impulse among the various muscular centers is to a high degree mysterious.

From The Psychology of Singing A Rational Method of Voice Culture Based on a Scientific Analysis of All Systems, Ancient and Modern by Taylor, David C. (David Clark)