New study provides unprecedented insight into the fine details of neuronal communication
Thursday, June 23, 2016 - 12:51
in Physics & Chemistry
For communication between neurons to occur, an electrical impulse, called an action potential, must travel down an axon to its synaptic terminal. A major technical challenge impeding the direct examination of this process, axonal excitability, is the small diameter of a typical axon -- less than 500 nanometers. Researchers have now optimized optical and electrophysiological recordings from single neurons to study axonal excitability with unprecedented detail.