Potential

Potential is a term used in sensory system processes — action potential, cell membrane potential, generator potential — to refer to a currently unrealized ability, when  things are in flux as energy releases via nerve impulses and across internal cell membranes to reach the destination. Potential is a stand-in term for something (as of yet) unmeasurable. It represents the neuron’s readiness to fire a signal (pass along a message). More specifically, a rapid change in membrane voltage allows neurons to transmit electrical impulses throughout the nervous system. When a neuron is not actively firing, it maintains a stable negative charge across its membrane, called the resting potential. When a neuron receives a stimulus, the membrane potential becomes less negative. This process, called depolarization, can trigger an action potential if it reaches a certain threshold of intensity. Also see Transduction