What is Action Potential

An action potential is, at its core, the way that our body communicates within the Central and Peripheral nervous systems. So, when we receive sensory information from sensory receptors, like touching a hot stove, an action potential is created and it travels through the sensory neurons, to the central nervous system, where there are inter neurons which connect motor and sensory neurons. The action potential travels through the inter neurons and then will propagate through the motor neuron, which initiates a motor, or physical response to changes in our environment, which can either be processed by the brain, or the spinal cord. For example, when you go to the doctor as he checks your knee reflex he is checking for the functional ability of the spinal cord. Because the spinal cord, not the brain is responsible for that motor reflex, as the action potential will be created as there is a change in pressure on the body (the little hammer causes the pressure), this action potential will then travel to the spinal cord and a motor response, or your reflex will occur.