Chapter 44.2, Problem 2R

Summary Introduction

To review:

The mechanism by, which an activity is generated by the graded membrane potentials inside a neuron’s axon, helping it to assimilate information received from several dendrites.

Introduction:

The muscles and the neurons generally work by all or none principle, i.e., their response to stimulus is independent of its strength. A muscle or neuron responds to stimulus only when a particular threshold is crossed by it. Once, a threshold is crossed, the action potential is generated irrespective of the strong or the weak stimulus.

The graded potential, however are generated by the individual actions of the channel proteins that are ligand-gated. The graded membrane potentials fade away with time and distance. The strength of the graded membrane potential depends upon the stimulus’ strength.