A researcher stimulates an axon at two locations and measures the membrane voltage at a location in the middle of the stimulation sites. They observe little change in the membrane voltage. This phenomenon is best explained by the:
The phenomenon can be best explained by the concept of spatial summation
The phenomenon can be best explained by the concept of spatial summation.
Spatial summation refers to the addition of multiple simultaneous stimuli on a neuron or an axon. When two locations of the axon are stimulated simultaneously, the incoming signals travel towards the middle of the stimulation sites. At this middle location, the membrane voltage is measured.
If the researcher observes little change in the membrane voltage at this location, it suggests that the two areas of stimulation do not individually provide enough stimulus to reach the threshold potential required for an action potential. In other words, the individual stimuli are below the threshold required for a response.
Spatial summation involves the integration of multiple sub-threshold stimuli to reach the threshold potential and trigger an action potential. In this case, since little change is observed in the membrane voltage, it indicates that the combined effect of the two stimuli is still sub-threshold and insufficient to generate an action potential. Thus, the researcher observes little or no change in the membrane voltage at the location in the middle of the stimulation sites.
In summary, the phenomenon is best explained by the concept of spatial summation where the combined effect of two stimuli is below the threshold required to elicit an action potential.
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