Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Propagation of Action Potentials

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 Potential: Phases of Stimulation

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 Potential

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 Potential

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...

Neurons: The Axon

Neurons: The Axon

Axons are long, cytoplasmic processes of nerve cells capable of propagating electrical impulses known as action potentials. The cytoplasm or axoplasm of an axon contains neurofibrils, neurotubules, small vesicles, lysosomes, mitochondria, and various enzymes, all encased within the axolemma, the plasma membrane of the axon.
The axon attaches to the cell body at a cone-shaped elevation called the axon hillock. The initial part of the axon, closest to the hillock, is known as the initial segment....

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential....

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Disentangling cephalopod chromatophores motor units with computer vision.

eLife·2026

Same author

Estimation of neuronal tuning for word meaning from passively recorded naturalistic speech.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Shared neural geometries for bilingual semantic representations in human hippocampal neurons.

Cell·2026

Same author

Author Correction: Plasticity and language in the anaesthetized human hippocampus.

Nature·2026

Same author

Pediatric epilepsy surgery: Global survey of referral and presurgical evaluation practices.

Epilepsia·2026

Same author

Distinct developmental trajectories of externally and internally generated hippocampal sequences and assemblies.

Current biology : CB·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 5, 2025

Electrophysiological and Morphological Characterization of Neuronal Microcircuits in Acute Brain Slices Using Paired Patch-Clamp Recordings

Electrophysiological and Morphological Characterization of Neuronal Microcircuits in Acute Brain Slices Using Paired Patch-Clamp Recordings

Published on: January 10, 2015

Local Axonal Conduction Shapes the Spatiotemporal Properties of Neural Sequences.

Robert Egger¹, Yevhen Tupikov², Margot Elmaleh¹

¹NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.

|October 16, 2020

Summary

Neural circuit mechanisms for sequential activation, crucial for courtship song in zebra finches, involve heterogeneous delays. Local axonal delay lines in the HVC region significantly shape neural activity patterns.

Keywords:

birdsong local circuits motor control neural network sequence zebra finch

More Related Videos

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

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

Published on: November 29, 2012

Examining Local Network Processing using Multi-contact Laminar Electrode Recording

Examining Local Network Processing using Multi-contact Laminar Electrode Recording

Published on: September 8, 2011

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 5, 2025

Electrophysiological and Morphological Characterization of Neuronal Microcircuits in Acute Brain Slices Using Paired Patch-Clamp Recordings

Electrophysiological and Morphological Characterization of Neuronal Microcircuits in Acute Brain Slices Using Paired Patch-Clamp Recordings

Published on: January 10, 2015

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

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

Published on: November 29, 2012

Examining Local Network Processing using Multi-contact Laminar Electrode Recording

Examining Local Network Processing using Multi-contact Laminar Electrode Recording

Published on: September 8, 2011

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Computational Neuroscience
Animal Behavior

Background:

Sequential neural activation underlies complex behaviors, but circuit mechanisms are unclear.
The HVC region in zebra finches is vital for precise temporal control in courtship song.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate premotor sequences in the HVC region of adult zebra finches.
Understand the circuit mechanisms shaping neural activity during song production.

Main Methods:

Used high-density silicon probes to record population activity in HVC.
Compared experimental data with predictions from various network models.

Main Results:

Identified a circuit architecture where heterogeneous delays between neurons shape activity.
Found that slow conduction through local axonal collaterals within HVC is a primary delay source (1-7.5 ms per link).

Conclusions:

Local axonal delay lines are critical for the dynamical repertoire of neural circuits.
These delays contribute significantly to the temporal precision required for courtship song.