impulse

impulse definition - medical

im·pulse (ĭmˈpŭlsˌ)

noun
  1. A sudden pushing or driving force.
  2. A sudden wish or urge that prompts an unpremeditated act or feeling; an abrupt inclination.
  3. The electrochemical transmission of a signal along a nerve fiber that produces an excitatory or inhibitory response at a target tissue.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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