Neuronenspikes

Neuronenspikes, also known as action potentials, are brief, transient changes in the membrane potential of a neuron. These electrical signals are the primary means by which neurons communicate information throughout the nervous system. A neuron is typically at rest with a negative charge inside relative to the outside. When a neuron receives sufficient stimulation, it triggers a rapid influx of positively charged ions, primarily sodium ions, into the cell. This influx causes the inside of the neuron to become positively charged, creating the "spike." Immediately following this depolarization, potassium ions flow out of the cell, restoring the negative charge and repolarizing the neuron. This entire process occurs very quickly, typically lasting only a few milliseconds. The all-or-none principle governs neuronenspikes; a stimulus must reach a certain threshold to trigger a spike, and once initiated, the spike's amplitude is always the same, regardless of the strength of the initial stimulus. The frequency and pattern of these spikes, rather than their amplitude, encode the information transmitted by the neuron. Neurons can transmit these electrical signals over long distances along their axons, allowing for rapid communication between different parts of the nervous system.