(ree- frak-tor-ee) The short time immediately after an action potential in which the neuron cannot respond to another stimulus, owing to an increase in potassium permeability.

Interval after action potential when another impulse cannot be produced ( absolute refractory period) or has a much higher threshold ( relative refractory period).

Refractory means obstinately resistant. The refractory period of an action potential is the part of the action potential cycle where generating another action potential is either impossible = absolute refractoriness - or difficult = relative refractoriness. Close this window

The period of time in men immediately following ejaculation, during which further erection or orgasm is not possible; not present in the female's sexual response cycle.

a time period when the state of a membrane is such that it cannot conduct an impulse; this occurs immediately after an impulse has passed.

refers to that period of time after the generation of an action potential when the membrane is either inexcitable or only activated to submaximal responses by suprathreshold stimuli

The period between the initiation of an action potential and the restoration of the normal resting potential; during this period, the membrane will not respond normally to stimulation.

the time during which an excitable cell cannot be made to respond to a stimulus that is usually adequate to evoke an action potential

Brief period following an action potential during which it is more difficult than normal or impossible to excite a neuron to generate another action potential

(neurology) the time after a neuron fires or a muscle fiber contracts during which a stimulus will not evoke a response

The stage in the male sex response cycle after ejaculation during which a man is unable to have another erection immediately.

brief period after 1 millisecond action potential when the neuron is resistant to reexcitation after an action potential. Permeability to sodium ions is low and to potassium ions is higher than normal.

The time following an action potential during which normal stimulation will not cause another action potential. During the absolute refractory period, no stimulation will evoke neuronal firing. The relative refractory period requires supra- threshold stimuli to evoke an action potential.

The time after ejaculating during which a male is unable to have an erection. In teenagers, this period might be a minute or two. In the 20s, it is more typically 20-30 minutes. In the 80s, the refractory period might last days.

Of a neuron, the time interval after an action potential, during which another action potential cannot be elicited.

The period following ejaculation in which further orgasm is difficult or impossible.

The length of time after depolarisation during which the muscle is incapable of another depolarisation.

(1) The length of time the myocardium is incapable of responding to a stimulus. (2) In pacing, an interval or timing cycle following a sensed or paced event during which the sense amplifier will not respond to incoming signals. Dual-chamber pacemakers have separate refractory periods for each chamber (atrial and ventricular). In most modern pacemakers, the refractory periods are programmable values. See also atrial refractory period and ventricular refractory period.

The period following depolarization of the heart's muscle cells during which the cardiac cells cannot be reactivated until repolarization has been completed.

the time it takes for a person to "recover" from orgasm or ejaculation and be able to have another one.

The recovery period after orgasm during which an individual cannot achieve another orgasm.

A refractory period, in physiology, is a period of time during which an organ or cell is incapable of repeating a particular action, or (more precisely) the amount of time it takes for an excitable membrane to be ready for a second stimulus once it returns to its resting state following an excitation. It most commonly refers to electrically excitable muscle cells or neurons, but there is also a male refractory period following coitus.

The refractory period in a neuron occurs after an action potential and generally lasts one millisecond. An action potential consists of three phases. Phase one is depolarization.

In sexual intercourse, the refractory period is a recovery phase after male ejaculation during which it is physiologically impossible for almost all men to experience sustained erection and additional ejaculations or orgasms. The penis may be hypersensitive and further sexual stimulation may even feel painful during this time frame.

The refractory period in cardiac physiology is related to the ion currents which, in cardiac cells as in nerve cells, flow into and out of the cell. The flow of ions translates into a change in the voltage of the inside of the cell relative to the extracellular space. As in nerve cells, this characteristic change in voltage is referred to as an action potential.