Psychology I / Action Potential
Practice question · Select all that apply

Select every statement that is TRUE about action potentials.

Hints
  1. Two options are misconceptions - one about spike size, one about what myelin does to speed.
  2. Recall that myelin speeds conduction and that intensity is rate-coded, not amplitude-coded.
Show the answer
  • B. Neurons signal a more intense stimulus by firing more frequently.
  • C. The peak voltage is roughly the same for every spike in a given axon.
  • E. During the absolute refractory period, even a very strong stimulus cannot trigger a spike.
Why

Fixed peak, absolute refractoriness, and rate-coding of intensity are all true. A stronger stimulus does not make a taller spike (all-or-none), and myelin RAISES conduction speed via saltatory conduction, so those two are false.

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