What term describes the directionality of axons that carry action potentials?

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Prepare for UCF SPA3104 Neural Bases of Communication exam. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Excel in your academic journey!

The term that describes the directionality of axons that carry action potentials is best captured by the concept of anterograde. Anterograde refers to the movement of signals and components away from the cell body of the neuron toward the axon terminal. This is the primary direction in which action potentials travel along axons as they transmit information to other neurons, muscles, or glands.

Understanding this term is crucial because it emphasizes the flow of neural activity in a single, forward direction during the process of synaptic transmission. While the term "retrograde" describes the transport of materials back toward the cell body, and "bidirectional" would suggest movement in both directions, neither accurately reflects the specific process of action potentials moving along axons from the cell body toward the axon terminal. "Unidirectional" alone might imply single-direction movement, but it does not specifically relate this movement to the context of action potentials in the same way that anterograde does. Thus, anterograde is the term that most accurately captures the essence of axonal action potential propagation.