Nerve and muscle tissue are called "excitable" because they produce electrical signals when excited beyond their resting potential.  These electrical signals are produced by ion movement across the plasma membrane to make the ICF more positive or negative.  

Neural Communication

Graded potentials are local changes in the membrane potential of a cell.  

Graded Potentials

Action potentials are changes in membrane potential that cause cells to become depolarized.  A single action potential only involves a small portion of the total cell membrane.  However, this signal can be propagated through the entire membrane as they do not diminish in strength over distance.  This makes action potentials reliable for long-distance signals.  

Action Potentials

- neural communication
- graded potentials
- action potentials
- synapses and neuronal integration
- intercellular communication and signal transduction
- hormonal communication
- comparing the nervous and endocrine systems

Michigan State University

- homeostasis
- cell physiology
- plasma membrane and membrane potential
- neural and hormonal communication

Principles of Human Physiology

Sherwood, L. (2010). Human Physiology: From Cells to Systems (7th ed.). Pacific Grove (Calif.): Brooks/Cole.

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