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nerve impulse
noun
: the progressive physicochemical change in the membrane of a nerve fiber that follows stimulation and serves to transmit a record of sensation from a receptor or an instruction to act to an effector
called also nervous impulse
Examples of nerve impulse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pecans Rich in potassium and magnesium, pecans help stimulate the functioning of the nervous system as these two chemical elements are involved in exchanges between nerve cells and help to advance nerve impulses to the brain.
—Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2024
Aids with muscle function, blood clotting, nerve impulse transmission, hormone secretion and enzyme activation.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 25 June 2024
Electrolytes Electrolytes are particles your body needs for processes like contracting muscles, hydration, conducting nerve impulses, and regulating pH levels.
—Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 24 July 2024
In fact, prostaglandins are produced throughout the body and serve to regulate blood pressure and circulation, body temperature, the transmission of nerve impulses, allergic reactions, inflammation, and muscle and uterine contractions, among other functions.
—Emily Langer, Washington Post, 11 July 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1870, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near nerve impulse
Cite this Entry
“Nerve impulse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nerve%20impulse. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
nerve impulse
noun
: the change in electrical charge that moves along the nerve fiber of a neuron in response to a stimulus (as pain) and serves to transmit a record of sensation from a receptor to the spinal cord or brain, relay a signal to another neuron, or carry an instruction to act to a muscle or gland
Medical Definition
nerve impulse
noun
variants
also nervous impulse
: an electrical signal that travels along a nerve fiber in response to a stimulus and serves to transmit a record of sensation from a receptor or an instruction to act to an effector : the propagation of an action potential along the length of a neuron
Note: A nerve impulse occurs when a stimulus exceeds a certain threshold resulting in the movement of positively charged sodium ions across the cell membrane of a neuron so that the electrical charges inside and outside the membrane are temporarily reversed.
More from Merriam-Webster on nerve impulse
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nerve impulse
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