Is a nerve impulse based on physics?

Answer 1

It is a question of semantics. You could say it is based on physics or you could say it is based on chemistry. A chemical reaction at the synapse causes sodium channels to open in the neuron allowing extra cellular sodium into the neuron which causes local depolarization of the neuron. This in turn leads to down stream sodium channels to open leading to the depolarization in that area. This triggers more sodium channels to open farther down the neuron and so on so that a wave of depolarization moves along the neuron carrying (or becoming if you choose) the neural impulse. Sure it's physics, it's biology, it's chemistry: you pick.

Answer 2

Nerve impulses are a neat combination of physics, chemistry and biology. Physics because it deals with electric voltages and current flow, chemistry because the driving force is a difference in chemical composition across the cell membrane and biology becuase of the proteins that form molecular pumps and channels to allow the whole thing to work.
Let's hear it for the physicist Ohm, the chemist Nernst and the biologists Hodgkin and Huxley!

Answer 3

Combination of physics and chemstry. The depolarization of a neuron is caused by an electric impulse (physics) but the action is chemical in nature.

Answer 4

Everything (except human emotions) can be said to be 'based' on Physics, since Physics is the Science of explaining what we observe in nature.

Answer 5

IN fact, a nerve implulse is actually the release of chemicals at the synaptic end, as the final result of communication of the potential across the cytoplasmic membrane being restored back to zero along the lenght of the nerve.

Answer 6

Almost everything can be explained with physics. Biology is firmly under the laws of physics.

Answer 7

Absolutely,
everything is physics based.