Excitability: The ability of a cell to change in membraneconductance as a response to stimulation.
For example, muscle cells are specialized to react to a change in membrane potential with contraction, where as nerve cells are specialized to propagate a change in membrane potential along there axons and communicate that message to other tissues via neurotransmitters.
Saladin, K. (2012). Anatomy & Physiology: The unity of form and function. (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.