In a laboratory situation, a nerve can be stimulated by applying voltage from a

Action potentials would travel in both directions from the stimulus point, simultaneously toward the cell bodies and toward the axon terminals. This is because the axon segments on each side of the stimulus point are presumably not refractory when the stimulus is delivered, thus there is nothing to prevent the action potentials from traveling in both directions. In normal transmission, the action potential begins where the axon starts, and travels only away from that point, not toward, because the membrane becomes refractory for a period of time after the action potential occurs. Thus, the axon is quite capable of transmitting action potentials in either direction, even though normally it is prevented from doing so.