The process of removing or reducing the electrical charge separation across a cell membrane, commonly occurring in nerve and muscle cells during their activation.
From de- (removing) + polarisation (state of having opposite charges), from Latin polaris relating to poles. The term emerged in 19th-century physiology as scientists studied electrical properties of cells.
When a nerve cell fires, depolarisation happens in milliseconds—the inside suddenly becomes less negative, triggering a cascade that lets your brain send signals at lightning speed, which is literally how you think and move!
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