Final answer:
The receptor potential is a graded potential in sensory cells that can trigger the generation of an action potential in adjacent neurons. Action potentials involve depolarization and repolarization, propagating along the axon via voltage-gated ion channels, with the further impossibility of generating another action potential during the refractory period.
Step-by-step explanation:
Relation of Receptor Potential to Action Potential
The relation of receptor potential (RP) to action potential (AP) involves the initial stages of neuronal signaling and the subsequent generation of a nerve impulse. Receptor potential is a type of graded potential that occurs in sensory receptor cells and can directly cause the release of neurotransmitters without an intermediary action potential. When a stimulus is strong enough to reach a threshold, the receptor potential can subsequently trigger an action potential in a nearby neuron's axon.
Action potentials are characterized by a rapid change in membrane voltage, starting with depolarization as Na+ ions flow into the cell, followed by repolarization with the outward movement of K+ ions. Importantly, a neuron's resting membrane potential is maintained by the Na+/K+ pump. If an action potential is initiated by the summation of graded potentials like receptor potentials, it can be propagated along the neuron's axon through opening and closing voltage-gated Na+ and K+ ion channels, leading to the initiation of another action potential. After an action potential is initiated, there is a refractory period during which a second action potential cannot be generated, ensuring unidirectional propagation.