Question

Which of the following is not true of a receptor potential?

a. It follows the all-or-none law.
b. It is a graded response.
c. It occurs when an adequate stimulus acts on a receptor.
d. It can stimulate an action potential in the axon of a sensory neuron.

Answer 1

The false statement about receptor potentials is that they follow the all-or-none law; they are actually graded responses that vary with the strength of the stimulus.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that is not true of a receptor potential is that it follows the all-or-none law. Unlike action potentials, receptor potentials are graded responses; their magnitude varies with the strength of the stimulus. When an adequate stimulus acts on a receptor, a receptor potential is generated, which, in specialized sensory receptor cells, results directly in the release of neurotransmitters rather than initiating an action potential. However, if a receptor potential occurs in the dendrites of a unipolar sensory neuron, termed a generator potential, it can stimulate an action potential in the axon of that sensory neuron.