Lobsters, Axons, Telephones, and Extracellular Recordings – A
look at how neuronal signals can be transmitted differently
under certain pharmacological conditions. Neuronal signals are
normally transmitted from cell bodies, or somas, to terminals
via extensions called axons. At these terminals, connections
called synapses are made with other neurons whereby the signals
are released via the aide of chemical messengers called
neurotransmitters. Many still believe that axons are reliable
conductors of these signals. However, with several years’ worth
of experiments, scientists have questioned the fidelity of
axonal conduction. They’ve realized that axons do not work like
telephones. While telephones and axons may both have buttons –
at the terminals in axons – only telephones faithfully conduct
signals. And only telephones ring aloud and send messages to
voicemail… In any case, neuronal signals, unlike telephone
signals, can change along their paths. Moreover, the pre-
synaptic neuron may communicate a different