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Potentials
Potential generally refers to a currently unrealized ability, in a wide variety of fields from physics to the social sciences. Mathematics and physics * Scalar potential, a scalar field whose gradient is a given vector field * Vector potential, a vector field whose curl is a given vector field * Potential function (other) * Potential variable (Boolean differential calculus) * Potential energy, the energy possessed by an object because of its position relative to other objects, stresses within itself, its electric charge, or other factors * Magnetic vector potential * Magnetic scalar potential (ψ) * Electric potential, the amount of work needed to move a unit positive charge from a reference point to a specific point inside the field without producing any acceleration * Electromagnetic four-potential, a relativistic vector function from which the electromagnetic field can be derived * Coulomb potential * Van der Waals force, distance-dependent interactions between atoms ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Action Potential
An action potential (also known as a nerve impulse or "spike" when in a neuron) is a series of quick changes in voltage across a cell membrane. An action potential occurs when the membrane potential of a specific Cell (biology), cell rapidly rises and falls. This depolarization then causes adjacent locations to similarly depolarize. Action potentials occur in several types of Membrane potential#Cell excitability, excitable cells, which include animal cells like neurons and myocyte, muscle cells, as well as some plant cells. Certain endocrine cells such as pancreatic beta cells, and certain cells of the anterior pituitary gland are also excitable cells. In neurons, action potentials play a central role in cell–cell interaction, cell–cell communication by providing for—or with regard to saltatory conduction, assisting—the propagation of signals along the neuron's axon toward axon terminal, synaptic boutons situated at the ends of an axon; these signals can then connect wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
