Biology A-Level
depolarisation
What depolarisation means in Biology A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of depolarisation
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Reference: AQA
The membrane becoming depolarised to roughly plus 40 mV, so the inside becomes positive, once the threshold is reached.
The inside of the axon becoming less negative as sodium ions diffuse in down their electrochemical gradient.
Topics that use depolarisation
- Nerve impulses (A-level only) (AQA A-Level)
- Receptors (A-level only) (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- absolute refractory period
- axon and dendrites
- colour vision
- deformation
- differential membrane permeability
- generator potential
- local currents
- maximum impulse frequency
Using depolarisation in the exam
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