eksitaatioväylän
Eksitaatioväylän, meaning "excitation pathway" in Finnish, refers to the sequence of events that leads to the activation of a neuron or other excitable cell. This process typically begins with a stimulus, which can be a chemical signal, mechanical force, or electrical change, causing a change in the cell membrane's potential. This initial change, often a depolarization, triggers the opening of voltage-gated ion channels. Sodium ions, for example, rush into the cell, further increasing the membrane potential and leading to an action potential, the fundamental electrical signal of nerve cells.
Following the initial depolarization and the generation of the action potential, a repolarization phase occurs, where