A nerve in a giraffe's leg is about 4.5 m long…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A nerve in a giraffe's leg is about m long. A similar nerve in a mouse is m long. In both, impulses travel at m/s. (a) How long does the message take in each animal? (b) How many times as long does it take in the giraffe?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
A neuron has dendrites, which pick up a message, a cell body, an axon, which carries the message as an electrical impulse, and nerve endings. At a synapse a chemical carries the message to the next neuron, in one direction only. Time along a nerve: .
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Giraffe. s ms.
Step 2. Mouse. s ms.
Step 3. Compare. , so the giraffe's message takes times as long.
Answer: (a) ms and about ms. (b) times as long.
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