While Dr Jackson Is Recording the Activity of a Squid Axon

question 85

Multiple Choice

 While Dr. Jackson is recording the activity of a squid axon, he finds that a larger depolarizing shock is necessary on occasion in order to produce a new action potential. What is the most likely explanation for Dr. Jackson's observations?

• A) The squid axon is such an artificial laboratory preparation, it cannot be expected to respond like an axon in a living animal.
• B) Dr. Jackson's second shock probably occurs during a relative refractory period.
• C) Dr. Jackson's second shock probably occurs during an absolute refractory period.
• D) The squid axon in the laboratory does not have functioning sodium-potassium pumps.

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Definitions:

Hermann Ebbinghaus

A German psychologist who pioneered the experimental study of memory and is known for discovering the forgetting curve and the spacing effect.

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