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 The first is that in the second week of development, myelination of the VCN axons in the MNTB increases. This prominent growth in myelin corresponds to the chronological development of the signaling circuit and adaptation of the calyx. The second ultrastructural change involves the principal neurons of the MNTBs, whose cell bodies and nuclei increase in surface area due to enlargement. This is a direct result of individual, larger postsynaptic densities breaking up into smaller, multiple densities. Potassium channels are vital in conducting the presynaptic action potential. The calyx contains several types of potassium channels, each differing in location and