if an axon has an absolute refractory period of 11 msec what

if an axon has an absolute refractory period of 1.1 msec what is the maximum rate of firing (maximum frequency of action potentials) that this axon can carry? What equation am I supposed to be using to solve this question?

Solution

Our nervous system is frequency modulated.The period from the initiation of the action potential to immediately after the peak is referred to as the absolute refractory period (ARP).The absolute refractory period limits the maximum number of action potentials generated per unit time by the axon.

Here the absolute refractory period is 1.1 ms, the maximum frequency of action potential can be calculated by the following equation.

(1 cycle/1.1 ms) X (1000 ms/1s) = 909 cycles/s = 909 Hz

A cycle here refers to the duration of the absolute refractory period, which when the strength of the stimulus is very high, is also the duration of an action potential.

Similarly, if the neuron absolute refractory period is 2 ms, the maximum frequency would be 500 Hz as shown below:

(1 cycle/2 ms) X (1000 ms/1s) = 500 cycles/s = 500 Hz

Because the absolute refractory period can last between 1-2 ms, the maximum frequency response is 500-1000 s¹ (Hz).