Passage of an action potential

• Saltatory conduction is the jumping of action potentials between nodes along the axon
• Nodes of Ranvier are the gaps between the myelin sheath along a neurone
• Refractory period is the minimum interval between action potentials
• Hyperpolarisation is the state when more potassium ions flow out of the neurone so the drop in potential difference overshoots
• Depolarisation is the temporary reversal of charges across the cell membrane of a neurone that occurs when a nerve impulse is transmitted
• Myelinated neurones are wrapped in a lipid rich layer fatty sheath called myelin