A nerve signal begins as a change in the membrane potential

Turning a flashlight on uses the energy stored in a battery- to create light. In a similar wav, stimulating a neurons plasma membrane can trigger the release and use of the membrane's potential energy to generate a nerve signal. A stimulus is any factor that causes a nerve signal to be generated. Examples of stimuli include light, sound, a tap on the knee, or a chemical signal from another neuron.

how nerve signals are generated multicolored line on the graph below traces the electrical changes that make up the action potential nerve signal. All the changes indicated by the graph millisecond

(1)The graph starts it the membranes resting potential ( 70 mv). (2) The stimulus is applied, and the voltage rises to what is called the threshold potential (50 mV, in this case). The difference between the threshold potential and the resting potential is minimum change in the membranes voltage that must occur to generate the action potential. (3) Once the threshold potential is reached, the action potential is triggered. The membrane polarity reverses abruptly, with the interior of cell becoming positive with respect to the outside. (4) The membrane then rapidly repolarizes as the voltage drop back down, (5)undershoots the resting potential (1) and finally returns to it.

What actually causes the electrical changes of the action potential ? The rapid flip-flop of the membrane potential from the rapid movements of ions across the membrane Na+ and K+ channels (called voltagegated channels because they have special gates that open and close depending on changes in membrane potential).

In (l) the resting membrane is positively charged on the outside, and the cytoplasm just inside tin membrane is negatively charged. (2) A stimulus triggers the opening of a few Na+ channels in the membrane, and a tiny amount of Na+ enters the axon. Just this tiny change, however, makes the inside surface of the membrane slightly less negative than before. If the stimulus is strong enough, a sufficient number of Na+ channels open to change the voltage to the threshold potential. (3) Once the threshold is reached, additional Na+ channels open. As more Na+ moves in, the voltage soars to its peak.

(4) The peak voltage triggers closing and inactivation of the Na + channels. Meanwhile, the K + channels open, allowing K + to diffuse rapidly out. These changes produce the downswing on the graph. (5) A very brief undershoot of the resting potential results because the K + channels close slowly. (1) The membrane then returns to its resting potential. A typical action potential takes only a few milliseconds.