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

See Examples For:

nerve impulse

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

Transmission of a nerve impulse from one neuron to another or to another type of cell such as a muscle cell occurs across a junction called a synapse.

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

The relations of the form of the nerve impulse to the rhythm of vital action, to fatigue and to inhibition are awaiting investigation.

From Harvard Psychological Studies, Volume 1 Containing Sixteen Experimental Investigations from the Harvard Psychological Laboratory. by Münsterberg, Hugo