🔬 Sciencepublished 2w ago
Your nerve impulses travel much slower than the speed of light
Because we describe nerve impulses as electrical signals, many assume they zip through the body at near the speed of light. In reality, nerve conduction relies on ions physically diffusing across cell membranes. The fastest myelinated human nerves transmit signals at roughly one hundred twenty meters per second—about two hundred seventy miles per hour. Slower pain signals crawl at less than two meters per second, which is why a stubbed toe registers dull throbbing only after a distinct delay.
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