Helmholtz's early experiments with frogs' and humans' legs indicated that the speed of the nervous impulse was
A) infinite.
B) about the same as that of an electrical current in a wire.
C) slow enough to suggest reaction times of two seconds or more in very large animals.
D) finite but too fast to be measured with existing equipment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Helmholtz's early experiments with frogs' and humans' legs suggested that the speed of the nervous impulse was slow enough to suggest reaction times of two seconds or more in very large animals. This implies that the speed of the nervous impulse was much slower than that of an electrical current in a wire, which rules out option B. Option A, which suggests an infinite speed, is not applicable as no physical entity can travel at infinite speed. Option D is incorrect because the finite speed of nervous impulses was determined later with more advanced equipment.

Helmholtz's Early Experiments with Frogs' and Humans' Legs Indicated That