Question

PARAGRAPH ANALOGY OF ACTION POTENTIAL

In a single paragraph discuss the process of an action potential. Explain it in a way that you would tell an eight year old - using an analogy. I would like to see you use an analogy and the more creative the better!

Note: You CANNOT use the domino effect or firing a gun as the analogy.

You must include four (4) of the following terms in your analogy: all-or-nothing response, axon, resting state, soma (cell body), threshold, positive or negative ions, depolarized, refractory period

Answer 1

The process of action potential includes the nerve impulse of the neurons. This process includes the mechanism of neuron communication and reaching the signal through neurons. To make this easy for an eight-year-old child, we can take an example of reflex actions that occur in milliseconds such as touching a hot object that leads the child to remove the hand or finger from it. The neurons present send signals to the brain which replies to give the response to remove the hand.
The structure of neuron consists of dendrite, axon, and soma, through which the other neuron is connected to the neuron and pass the signals. In this process the neuron is connected to each other which passes information. When the neuron is not sending the information they are at rest. This state is called resting membrane potential and the potential at this state is -70mV. After that when a neuron has a threshold potential to send the signal which is -55mV. It is important that the action potential works on all or nine law which explains that the neuron signal has a strength to which the neuron response is independent of the strength of their stimulus. If the stimulus is threshold potential or exceeds it then only the neuron responds otherwise no response. When the neuron reaches the threshold state It opens the gate of sodium channels which allows them to influx. This phase is depolarisation, in which the inside of the cell becomes positive. After the influx of sodium, or the overshoot phase in which the influx gets stopped. Potassium channels open which cause large efflux of potassium. This is the period of repolarization which leads to hyperpolarization and them the refractory period which is the phase in which the neuron can’t generate another action potential.