Explain the Physiology of Refractory Period Terms Flashcards

Nerve cells

145 cards   |   Total Attempts: 188
  

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Absolute refractory period
The time immediately after an action potential, when the sodium gates close and the membrane cannot produce an action potential in response to stimulation of any intensity
Action potential
Rapid depolarization and slight reversal of the usual polarization caused by stimulation beyond the threshold
Active transport
Protein-mediated process that expends energy to pump chemicals from the blood into the brain
Afferent axon
Neuron that brings information into a structure
All-or-none law
Principle stating that the size, amplitude, and velocity of the action potential are independent of the intensity of the stimulus that initiated it
Astrocyte
(astroglia) relatively large star-shaped glia cell
Axon
Single thin fibers of constant diameter that extend from a neuron
Axon hillock
Swelling of the soma, the point where the axon begins
Blood-brain barrier
The mechanism that keeps many chemicals out of the brain
Cell body, or soma
The structure of a cell that contains the nucleus
Concentration gradient
The difference in distribution of ions across a membrane
Dendrite
Branching fiber that emanates from a neuron, growing narrower as it extends from the cell body toward the periphery
Dendrite spine
Short outgrowth along the dendrites
Depolarization
Reduction in the level of polarization across a membrane
Efferent axon
Neuron that carries information away from a structure