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Depolarize for Dummies

verb

pronunciation: di'poʊlə,raɪz

What does Depolarize really mean?

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Hey! Don't worry, I'm here to help you understand the word "depolarize." Imagine your brain is like a light switch, and when it's polarized, it's like the light is turned on. When something depolarizes, it's like the light switch is being turned off. It means to reduce or eliminate the difference in charge between two points, specifically in relation to a cell or an organ in your body.

So, think of it like this - when a cell is at rest, it's polarized, like the light switch being on. But when it depolarizes, it's like the switch being turned off, and the cell becomes active. It's a change in the electrical charge of a cell, making it more ready to do its job.

In simpler terms, it means to make something less ready or excited to act. So, when a cell depolarizes, it's like taking a deep breath and relaxing before getting ready to do its job. It's like pushing a "reset" button to get ready for the next action.

I hope that helps you understand what "depolarize" means! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

Revised and Fact checked by Olivia Davis on 2023-12-04 12:14:47

Depolarize In a sentece

Learn how to use Depolarize inside a sentece

  • When a neuron depolarizes, it becomes more positive inside and is ready to send an electrical signal to another neuron.
  • During an action potential, the neuron depolarizes as sodium ions flow into the cell.
  • When a muscle cell depolarizes, it contracts and creates movement in the body.
  • In cardiac cells, depolarization allows the heart to beat by initiating the contraction of the heart muscles.
  • Depolarization of a photoreceptor cell in the eye allows for the transmission of visual information to the brain.

Depolarize Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

Depolarize Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

Depolarize Category

The domain category to which the original word belongs.