The voltage difference across a nerve cell membrane when the nerve is excited is called

The voltage difference across a nerve cell membrane when the nerve is excited is called

• A. Action Potential
• B. Resting Potential
• C. Depolarization
• D. Threshold Potential

Answer: (A)

When a neuron is excited, the membrane potential undergoes a rapid, transient change called an action potential. This is the voltage difference across the membrane as the nerve fires: a brief spike where the inside becomes briefly positive due to the influx of Na+ through voltage-gated channels, followed by repolarization as K+ exits. This entire event travels along the axon as the nerve signal. Resting potential is simply the steady negative potential when the neuron isn’t firing, depolarization is a phase within the action potential, and threshold potential is the critical level that must be reached to trigger the event. So, the voltage difference during excitation is an action potential.

When a neuron is excited, the membrane potential undergoes a rapid, transient change called an action potential. This is the voltage difference across the membrane as the nerve fires: a brief spike where the inside becomes briefly positive due to the influx of Na+ through voltage-gated channels, followed by repolarization as K+ exits. This entire event travels along the axon as the nerve signal. Resting potential is simply the steady negative potential when the neuron isn’t firing, depolarization is a phase within the action potential, and threshold potential is the critical level that must be reached to trigger the event. So, the voltage difference during excitation is an action potential.