Action potential is an electrical impulse that carries information throughout the body. It is responsible for transmitting signals between nerve cells, muscles and other parts of the body. Action potentials occur when there is a change in electrical potential across the nerve cell membrane. This can be caused by either a sudden influx of ions or a sudden depletion of ions across the membrane. When this occurs, it causes an action potential to form along the axon which then transmits its signal down to other cells or organs within the body.

Action potentials are involved with sensation because they allow us to sense stimuli from our environment such as heat, cold, pressure, sound and taste. Sensory receptors are specialized cells that detect changes in our environment and convert them into action potentials so that we can interact with them (Doherty & Zafonte 2020). For example, when we touch something hot or cold, sensory neurons detect these temperatures and send messages through action potentials back to our brain where it gets interpreted as pain or pleasure depending on how intense it is (Senger 2021).