Columbus State Introduction To Psychology Exam 1 Practice

What is the brief wave of positive electrical charge that sweeps down the axon called?

Resting Potential Graded Potential Action Potential Synapse

Correct Answer:

Action Potential

Explanation:

Action potential is the nerve impulse that travels as a brief wave of positive charge down the axon. When a neuron is at rest, it has a negative resting potential. Gradual, local changes in potential (graded potentials) occur on the dendrites and cell body and vary with stimulus; they’re not the fast, all-or-none spike that travels along the axon. The action potential starts when depolarization reaches threshold, Na+ channels rush the inside positive, and the membrane depolarizes quickly. Na+ channels then inactivate and K+ channels open to repolarize the membrane, with a brief moment of hyperpolarization before returning to resting potential. This spike propagates along the axon to trigger neurotransmitter release at the synapse.

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