Final answer:
Graded potentials are temporary changes in membrane potential, depolarized by Na+ or Ca2+ influx, or hyperpolarized by K+ efflux or Cl- influx, influencing the generation of action potentials.
Step-by-step explanation:
The short-lived, local changes in membrane potential that can be either depolarized or hyperpolarized are called graded potentials. These potentials are temporary and their characteristics depend on the size of the stimulus that elicits them. A stimulus may cause either depolarization of the membrane, often due to Na+ or Ca2+ entering the cell, or hyperpolarization, typically resulting from K+ leaving the cell or Cl- entering it. Graded potentials are crucial in determining whether an action potential will occur, as they can add together, or summate, to reach the threshold to trigger an action potential.
Graded potentials are temporary changes in the membrane voltage that can be either depolarized or hyperpolarized. They are short-lived and local, meaning they occur in a specific area of the neuron. The size of the stimulus determines the amount of change in the membrane potential. For example, a small stimulus may cause a small depolarization, while a large stimulus may cause a large hyperpolarization.