ingerületvezetés

Ingerületvezetés, also known as nerve conduction, is the process by which a nerve impulse, or action potential, travels along a neuron. This electrochemical signal is generated when a stimulus causes a change in the electrical potential across the neuron's membrane. In a resting neuron, there is a difference in the concentration of ions inside and outside the cell, creating a resting membrane potential. When a neuron is stimulated, ion channels open, allowing ions to flow across the membrane. This rapid influx and efflux of ions causes a temporary, localized reversal of the membrane potential, known as depolarization.

This depolarization event triggers the opening of voltage-gated ion channels in the adjacent segment of the neuron's axon. This allows the electrical signal to propagate down the length of the axon in a wave-like fashion. The impulse travels in one direction, away from the cell body towards the axon terminal. At the axon terminal, the electrical signal triggers the release of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft, which then transmit the signal to another neuron, muscle cell, or gland.

In myelinated axons, ingerületvezetés is significantly faster due to a process called saltatory conduction. Myelin, a fatty insulating sheath, wraps around the axon, leaving gaps called nodes of Ranvier. The action potential "jumps" from one node to the next, greatly increasing the speed of transmission compared to unmyelinated axons. This efficient and rapid transmission of signals is fundamental to communication within the nervous system, enabling everything from sensory perception to motor control.