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

This means light must pass through layers of nerve fibres before reaching the photoreceptors – specialised cells responsible for detecting light and converting that into a nerve impulse to send to the brain.

From Science Daily • Jul. 11, 2026

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

The Schwann cells are separated by gaps of unmyelinated fibers called nodes of Ranvier over which the nerve impulse travels as the signal passes along the neuron, increasing the speed of transmission.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Muscle cells contract when they fire and are often induced to do so by a nerve impulse.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Like the copper rod, the axis cylinder along which the nerve impulse travels is the essential part of a nerve fiber.

From A Practical Physiology by Blaisdell, Albert F.