Neurons as information-processing systems
Membrane potential reflects electrical and chemical gradients across a neuron.
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Membrane potential reflects electrical and chemical gradients across a neuron. An action potential is a brief event; synapses can raise or lower the chance of future spiking through excitation or inhibition. Neural coding asks how activity relates to information, but one neuron rarely explains a whole behavior. Models simplify physiology to test specific questions.
Worked example
An excitatory input can increase firing probability without guaranteeing a spike. Compare responses across repeated trials rather than treating one event as deterministic.