Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
A stimulus is any change in the environment that can make an organism or a part of the body react. In the context of the nervous system, it's what prompts nerve cells to transmit signals to the brain or spinal cord.
Related terms
Sensory Receptor: A specialized neuron that detects specific types of stimuli, such as light, sound, or temperature, and converts them into electrical signals.
Reflex: An involuntary and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus without conscious thought.
A rapid rise and fall in electrical membrane potential along a nerve fiber, resulting from stimulation by a stimulus and leading to transmission of nerve impulses