Can an inhibitory message flow along an axon?

Name: Problem 5, Chapter 2: Biological Psychology
Uploaded: 2020-10-07T14:31:36-08:00
Duration: 25 s
Channel: Joanna Quigley
Description: Can an inhibitory message flow along an axon?

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Key Concepts

Axon

An axon is the long, slender projection of a neuron that carries electrical impulses away from the cell body toward other neurons, muscles, or glands. Its primary role is the transmission of the signals once an action potential is initiated at the axon hillock.

Action Potential

An action potential is an all-or-nothing electrical impulse that travels along the axon. It is generated when the summed graded potentials reach a threshold, ensuring that the signal is transmitted reliably along the entire length of the axon.

Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potential (IPSP)

An inhibitory postsynaptic potential is a type of graded potential that occurs at the synapse when neurotransmitters make the postsynaptic neuron less likely to fire an action potential. These signals are localized and do not travel along the axon but rather influence whether an action potential is generated at the axon hillock.

Graded Potential

Graded potentials are localized changes in membrane potential that vary in magnitude, occurring in the dendrites and cell body of a neuron. They are the result of synaptic activity and are summed to determine if the threshold for action potential initiation is reached at the axon hillock, but they themselves do not propagate along the axon.

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