Lights, Camera, Action Potential

home » Website Detail Page

Detail Page

written by Eric Chudler

Available Languages: English, Spanish

This short tutorial from University of Washington's Neuroscience for Kids looks at how neurons send messages electrochemically. It does an specially nice job explaining the "all or nothing" principle in action potential.

This resource is part of a larger set of tutorials created by Eric H. Chudler, PhD, Executive Director of the University of Washington Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering.

https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ap.html

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Electricity & Magnetism - Electric Fields and Potential Other Sciences - Chemistry - Life Sciences	- High School - Middle School	- Instructional Material = Curriculum = Tutorial

Intended Users	Formats	Ratings
- Learners - Educators - General Publics	- text/html	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 1999 Eric Chudler, PhD
Keywords:: action potential, axon, neuron, synapse
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created October 24, 2021 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: October 24, 2021 by Caroline Hall
Last Update when Cataloged:: October 21, 2021
Other Collections:: The Physics Front

Post a new comment on this item

Next Generation Science Standards

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes (MS-LS1)

Students who demonstrate understanding can: (6-8)

Gather and synthesize information that sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories. (MS-LS1-8)

Disciplinary Core Ideas (K-12)

Structure and Properties of Matter (PS1.A)

The structure and interactions of matter at the bulk scale are determined by electrical forces within and between atoms. (9-12)

Types of Interactions (PS2.B)

Attraction and repulsion between electric charges at the atomic scale explain the structure, properties, and transformations of matter, as well as the contact forces between material objects. (9-12)

Structure and Function (LS1.A)

Systems of specialized cells within organisms help them perform the essential functions of life. (9-12)
Multicellular organisms have a hierarchical structural organization, in which any one system is made up of numerous parts and is itself a component of the next level. (9-12)
Feedback mechanisms maintain a living system's internal conditions within certain limits and mediate behaviors, allowing it to remain alive and functional even as external conditions change within some range. Feedback mechanisms can encourage (through positive feedback) or discourage (negative feedback) what is going on inside the living system. (9-12)

Information Processing (LS1.D)

Each sense receptor responds to different inputs (electromagnetic, mechanical, chemical), transmitting them as signals that travel along nerve cells to the brain. The signals are then processed in the brain, resulting in immediate behaviors or memories. (6-8)

ComPADRE is beta testing Citation Styles!

Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=15808">Chudler, Eric. Lights, Camera, Action Potential. October 21, 2021.</a>

AIP Format

E. Chudler, (1999), WWW Document, (https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ap.html).

AJP/PRST-PER

E. Chudler, Lights, Camera, Action Potential (1999), <https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ap.html>.

APA Format

Chudler, E. (2021, October 21). Lights, Camera, Action Potential. Retrieved May 4, 2025, from https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ap.html

Chicago Format

Chudler, Eric. Lights, Camera, Action Potential. October 21, 2021. https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ap.html (accessed 4 May 2025).

MLA Format

Chudler, Eric. Lights, Camera, Action Potential. 1999. 21 Oct. 2021. 4 May 2025 <https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ap.html>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Author = "Eric Chudler", Title = {Lights, Camera, Action Potential}, Volume = {2025}, Number = {4 May 2025}, Month = {October 21, 2021}, Year = {1999} }

Refer Export Format

%A Eric Chudler %T Lights, Camera, Action Potential %D October 21, 2021 %U https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ap.html %O text/html

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %A Chudler, Eric %D October 21, 2021 %T Lights, Camera, Action Potential %V 2025 %N 4 May 2025 %8 October 21, 2021 %9 text/html %U https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/ap.html

Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.

Citation Source Information

The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References.

The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation.

The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ.