action potential

noun

: a momentary reversal in electrical potential across a plasma membrane (as of a neuron or muscle fiber) that occurs when a cell has been activated by a stimulus

Examples of action potential in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That hindered Miami’s play action potential, which led to Gesicki’s snap count being limited. Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 19 June 2024 Heimburg, now 58, is seeking funding for what could be the most critical experiment of all: measuring the heat as a nerve pulse, or action potential, passes by. Douglas Fox, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2018 The signals then travel to a region called the insula, which acts as a kind of sensor: The fuller the bladder becomes, the more neurons in the insula fire off tiny electrical pulses called action potentials. Emily Underwood, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 2024 When neurons fire, action potentials – brief, high-voltage spikes traveling outward from their cell bodies – set up local electrical activity in other neurons, causing current to flow within and outside them. Giridhar Kalamangalam, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for action potential 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'action potential.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of action potential was in 1913

Dictionary Entries Near action potential

Cite this Entry

“Action potential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/action%20potential. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

Medical Definition

action potential

noun
: a momentary reversal in the potential difference across a plasma membrane (as of a nerve cell or muscle fiber) that occurs when a cell has been activated by a stimulus

called also spike potential

compare resting potential see afterpotential, generator potential, prepotential

More from Merriam-Webster on action potential

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!