In order for local potentials to trigger an action potential, the membrane must reach a level called the ________.

A) threshold
B) resting membrane potential
C) spike potential
D) maximum potential

Threshold

The point of intensity at which a stimulus begins to produce a sensation or elicit a response, marking the limit between the absence and the beginning of a perception.

Membrane Potential

The difference in electric potential between the interior and the exterior of a biological cell.

Action Potential

A rapid change in electrical potential across a cell's membrane that occurs when a neuron sends information down an axon.