Difference Between Temporal Summation and Spatial Summation

What is the primary difference between temporal summation and spatial summation?

a. spatial summation depends on contributions from more than one sensory neuron.

The correct answer is A, spatial summation depends on contributions from more than one sensory neuron.

Final answer:

The primary difference between temporal summation and spatial summation is that temporal summation refers to the addition of stimuli over time, from a single presynaptic neuron, while spatial summation involves the addition of stimuli from multiple presynaptic neurons.

Explanation:

The primary difference between temporal summation and spatial summation is that temporal summation refers to the addition of stimuli over time, from a single presynaptic neuron, in order to reach the threshold for an action potential, while spatial summation involves the addition of stimuli from multiple presynaptic neurons in order to reach the threshold for an action potential. In temporal summation, the stimuli are generated by the same presynaptic neuron but occur at a high frequency, while in spatial summation, the stimuli are generated by different presynaptic neurons but can occur simultaneously or close together in time. Therefore, the correct answer is a. spatial summation depends on contributions from more than one sensory neuron.

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