Calyx (anatomy) kidney, a conglomeration of two or three minor calyces to form a major calyx, or the Calyx of Held, a particularly large synapse in the mammalian auditory central nervous system, named by H. Held in his 1893 article "Die centrale Gehörleitung", due to its flower-petal-like shape. In male insects, a funnel-shaped expansion of the basal part of the "vas deferens" (part of the seminal duct). Also in entomology, a flattened cap of neuropile in an insect brain (a component of the corpus pedunculatum) and by certain female insects, an expansion of the oviduct into which the ovarioles open. Calyx (anatomy)
Calyx of Held third postnatal weeks, around the time of hearing onset, the calyx of Held develops its characteristic, highly fenestrated (many openings) appearance. Fenestration results in the membrane being reduced to numerous small compartments, which increase surface area of the presynaptic cleft. As the membrane becomes increasingly pinched into these bulb-like structures, synaptic vesicles are further grouped into these spaces, resulting in an increased number of docked vesicles. To compensate for the available spaces in the calyx, glial cells with glutamate receptors and transports are used to fill open spaces, ensuring efficient uptake of glutamate in the synapse. This physical change in