Question

Graded potentials can

A) act as signals over short distances.
B) act as signals over long distances.
C) cause or prevent an action potential.
D) A and C
E) B and C

Answer 1

Graded potentials can act as signals over short distances and have the ability to cause or prevent the generation of an action potential; they do not signal over long distances.

Therefore, the correct answer is: option D) A and C.

Step-by-step explanation:

Graded potentials are changes in the membrane potential with varying degrees of strength, depending on the size of the stimulus.

These potentials can act as signals over short distances, such as within the dendrites and cell body of a neuron.

Additionally, graded potentials can cause or prevent an action potential depending on their strength and summation. They are not meant for long-distance signaling, which is the role of action potentials.

Graded potentials are primarily generated by sensory input, causing a change in the conductance of the membrane of the sensory receptor cell. Graded potentials also are those generated at a localized place on the cell membrane where an excitatory or inhibitory synapse has taken place.

Therefore, the correct answer to the question of what graded potentials can do is D) A and C - act as signals over short distances and can cause or prevent an action potential.