Malcolm is visiting a fish farm and is imagining an analogy for the action potential.He notices that all the fish start out in separate tanks that all feed into a main tank,where the food is.The entrance to the main tank is covered with some bars that the farmer can control.When he opens the bars,all the fish flow into the main tank in a massive rush.In his analogy,the fish are ions,and their flow into the main tank is what would cause the neuron to fire.What type of ion would the fish represent?
A) potassium
B) calcium
C) sodium
D) dopamine

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The rush of fish into the main tank represents the influx of sodium ions into the neuron during an action potential, causing the neuron to fire. Potassium and calcium ions also play important roles in the action potential, but in this analogy, they are not represented by the fish. Dopamine is not an ion and therefore not relevant to this analogy.

Malcolm Is Visiting a Fish Farm and Is Imagining an Analogy