Last modified on December 22, 2010, at 20:53

Electrical impulse

An electrical impulse is a surge of electricity, that is, a large flow of electrons or charged particles occurring seemingly spontaneously after experiencing a stimuli.

Several examples of electrical impulses include:

  • Within the heart, an electrical impulse is used to cause beating, and these can be imitated in a pacemaker. Similarly a defibrillator uses a sudden electrical impulse to jump start the heart
  • The nervous system works by a series of electrical impulses to and from the brain that stimulate muscles and other organs

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