all-or-none

[ ôl′ər-nŭn ]

Characterized by either a complete response or by a total lack of response or effect, depending on the strength of the stimulus. Neurons have an all-or-none response to impulse transmission and cannot be partially stimulated.

Example sentences from the Web for all-or-none

  • It was an all-or-none reaction; the legs spurned the ground in perfect unison and with every bit of the power in them.

    Rastignac the Devil |Philip Jos Farmer