Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Propagation of Action Potentials01:23

Propagation of Action Potentials

The propagation of an action potential refers to the process by which a nerve impulse, or "action potential," travels along a neuron.
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...
Action Potentials01:41

Action Potentials

Overview
Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation01:28

Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation

The action potential is a complex electrical event that occurs in excitable cells, such as neurons and muscle cells. It consists of several distinct phases, each with specific characteristics.
Resting Phase:
In this phase, the cell's membrane is at its resting potential, typically around -70 millivolts (mV) for neurons. Inside the cell, there is a higher concentration of potassium ions (K+) and a lower concentration of sodium ions (Na+). Voltage-gated sodium channels are closed, and...
Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
Action Potential01:14

Action Potential

Neurons communicate by firing action potentials—the electrochemical signal that is propagated along the axon. The signal results in the release of neurotransmitters at axon terminals, thereby transmitting information to the nervous system. An action potential is a specific "all-or-none" change in membrane potential that results in a rapid spike in voltage.
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they receive...
Generation of Action Potential in Skeletal Muscles01:24

Generation of Action Potential in Skeletal Muscles

Every cell in the body maintains a membrane potential due to an uneven distribution of positive and negative charges across its plasma membrane. The membrane potential is measured in millivolts and quantifies the difference in charge across the membrane.
Like neurons, muscle cells are also regarded as excitable due to their capacity to change in response to stimuli, primarily due to voltage-gated ion channels embedded in their plasma membranes, which get activated by alterations in the cell's...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Group 8 metallocenes as single-source precursors for the synthesis of light-element-stabilized FCC phases under extreme conditions.

Science and technology of advanced materials·2026
Same author

High-Pressure Synthesis of a Silicon-Rich Ruthenium Silicide, RuSi<sub>3</sub>, with a 9-Coordinated Ru Site and a Si-Si Dumbbell.

Inorganic chemistry·2026
Same author

A Translational Neural Network Mechanism of Resilience: Top-Down Control and Plasticity of the Visual Cortex Relates to Resilient Outcome and Performance.

Research (Washington, D.C.)·2026
Same author

[A case of autoantibody-negative autoimmune encephalitis associated with mature ovarian teratoma, successfully treated with early ovariectomy].

Rinsho shinkeigaku = Clinical neurology·2026
Same author

An R83W mutation in Rab3A causes autosomal-dominant cerebellar ataxia.

Human molecular genetics·2026
Same author

Effective Radiotherapy for Bilateral Hip Flexion Dysfunction Due to Vertebral Metastasis at the Origin of the Psoas Major: A Case Report.

Cureus·2025
Same journal

Erratum for the Research Article "Detecting supramolecular organic nanoparticles during heat wave".

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Local signals, systemic decline.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

The mechanics of liver regeneration.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Computing in a memory with physics.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Retraction.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Making time.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Voltage-sensitive Dye Recording from Axons, Dendrites and Dendritic Spines of Individual Neurons in Brain Slices
12:51

Voltage-sensitive Dye Recording from Axons, Dendrites and Dendritic Spines of Individual Neurons in Brain Slices

Published on: November 29, 2012

Action-potential modulation during axonal conduction.

Takuya Sasaki1, Norio Matsuki, Yuji Ikegaya

  • 1Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 5, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Action potentials (APs) change shape along axons, contrary to the classic view. This waveform modulation, influenced by local factors, impacts synaptic transmission and may enable axonal computation.

More Related Videos

Modeling Biological Membranes with Circuit Boards and Measuring Electrical Signals in Axons: Student Laboratory Exercises
13:56

Modeling Biological Membranes with Circuit Boards and Measuring Electrical Signals in Axons: Student Laboratory Exercises

Published on: January 18, 2011

In Vivo Intracellular Recording of Type-Identified Rat Spinal Motoneurons During Trans-Spinal Direct Current Stimulation
11:07

In Vivo Intracellular Recording of Type-Identified Rat Spinal Motoneurons During Trans-Spinal Direct Current Stimulation

Published on: May 11, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Voltage-sensitive Dye Recording from Axons, Dendrites and Dendritic Spines of Individual Neurons in Brain Slices
12:51

Voltage-sensitive Dye Recording from Axons, Dendrites and Dendritic Spines of Individual Neurons in Brain Slices

Published on: November 29, 2012

Modeling Biological Membranes with Circuit Boards and Measuring Electrical Signals in Axons: Student Laboratory Exercises
13:56

Modeling Biological Membranes with Circuit Boards and Measuring Electrical Signals in Axons: Student Laboratory Exercises

Published on: January 18, 2011

In Vivo Intracellular Recording of Type-Identified Rat Spinal Motoneurons During Trans-Spinal Direct Current Stimulation
11:07

In Vivo Intracellular Recording of Type-Identified Rat Spinal Motoneurons During Trans-Spinal Direct Current Stimulation

Published on: May 11, 2020

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cellular Biology
  • Neurophysiology

Background:

  • The traditional understanding posits uniform action potential (AP) propagation along axonal arbors.
  • This view assumes APs do not change waveform during axonal transport.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether action potentials (APs) undergo waveform modulation during axonal propagation.
  • To explore the functional consequences of AP waveform changes on synaptic transmission.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized fluorescent patch-clamp pipettes for ex vivo recording of APs from hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neuron axon branches.
  • Applied glutamate and an adenosine A(1) receptor antagonist locally to axon shafts.
  • Performed calcium uncaging in periaxonal astrocytes to assess astrocyte-neuron interactions.

Main Results:

  • Axonal AP waveforms broadened upon local application of glutamate and an adenosine A(1) receptor antagonist.
  • Astrocyte calcium uncaging, leading to ionotropic glutamate receptor activation, also broadened APs.
  • Broadened APs resulted in increased presynaptic calcium and enhanced synaptic transmission.

Conclusions:

  • Action potentials are subject to local waveform modulation along axons, challenging the classic view of uniform propagation.
  • This AP modification, influenced by astrocytic activity and local neurotransmitter release, can alter synaptic efficacy.
  • Local AP modulation may represent a mechanism for axonal computation, leveraging axon wiring geometry.