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

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

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

How does it get transmitted along the cell membrane, and in particular down an axon, as a nerve impulse?

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Every time a nerve impulse is transmitted from one nerve cell to the next, a molecule of acetylcholine is consumed.

From How and When to Be Your Own Doctor by Solomon, Steve