What term describes the process when sodium ions enter a neuron, making the inside more positive than the outside?

The term that describes the process when sodium ions enter a neuron, resulting in the inside becoming more positive than the outside, is depolarization. During this phase of action potential generation, voltage-gated sodium channels in the neuron's membrane open in response to a stimulus, allowing sodium ions to flow into the cell. This influx of positively charged sodium ions alters the membrane potential, making the inside of the neuron less negative and ultimately positive compared to the outside.

This change is crucial for the propagation of nerve impulses along the neuron. In contrast, repolarization refers to the process that occurs after depolarization, where potassium ions exit the neuron to restore the negative internal environment. Hyperpolarization occurs when the membrane potential becomes more negative than the resting potential, typically after an action potential. Resting potential describes the state of the neuron when it is not transmitting an impulse, where the inside of the neuron is more negative relative to the outside due to the distribution of ions, primarily sodium and potassium. Understanding these processes is key in the study of neurophysiology and how electrical signals are generated and transmitted in the nervous system.