Nerve impulses travel to and fro at the speed of 275 km/hour
Recommended for Middle Grades
Nerve impulses
What is the nervous system?
The nervous system is the body’s inner communication system. It is the pathway along which your brain sends and receives information about what is happening in the body and around it. This pathway is made up of billions of nerve cells, or neurons that join together to make nerves.
What is a nerve?
A nerve is a fibre that sends impulses through the body.
Nerves are covered by a fatty substance called myelin. Myelin helps the messages go fast through the neurons.
The work of nerve cells
Nerve cells work by a mixture of chemical and electrical action. At every end of the nerve cell, there is a synaptic terminal. This is full of tiny sacs which hold neurotransmitter chemicals. These chemicals transmit nerve impulses from one nerve to another or from nerves to muscle cells.
Nerve impulses
An electrical nerve impulse travels along the neuron to these sacs which then release the neurotransmitter chemicals. The chemicals then move along to the next neuron sparking an electrical charge which moves the nerve impulse forward. This happens several times until the message gets where it’s going.
Nerve impulses are extremely slow. It is slower than the speed of electricity. However, it is very fast in comparison to the speed of blood flow, with some nerves at speeds from 275 km to 432 km/h (kilometre/hour).
In general, nerve impulses travel faster along thicker nerve fibres. The conduction velocity also increases at high temperatures and decreases at low temperatures.
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