Calyx of Held Calyx of Held The Calyx of Held is a particularly large synapse in the mammalian auditory central nervous system, so named by Hans Held in his 1893 article "Die centrale Gehörleitung" because of its resemblance to the calyx of a flower. Globular bushy cells in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) send axons to the contralateral medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), where they synapse via these calyces on MNTB principal cells. These principal cells then project to the ipsilateral lateral superior olive (LSO), where they inhibit postsynaptic neurons and provide a basis for interaural level detection (ILD), required for
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