2-Minute Neuroscience: Membrane potential and action potential

In these two videos, I discuss membrane potential and the action potential. Membrane potential refers to the difference in charge between the inside and outside of a neuron, which is created due to the unequal distribution of ions on both sides of the cell. The term action potential refers to the electrical signaling that occurs within neurons. This electrical signaling leads the release of neurotransmitters, and therefore is important to the chemical communication that occurs between neurons. Thus, understanding the action potential is important to understanding how neurons communicate.