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Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Subcellular Patch-clamp Recordings from the Somatodendritic Domain of Nigral Dopamine Neurons
Published on: November 2, 2016
Nerve Conduction Through Dendrites via Proton Hopping
1Center for the Study of Biological Complexity, Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA 23298, United States.
Background:
In our previous studies of nerve conduction conducted by proton hopping, we have considered the axon, soma, synapse and the nodes of Ranvier. The role of proton hopping described the passage of information through each of these units of a typical nerve system. The synapse projects information from the axon to the dendrite and their associated spines.
Methods:
We have invoked the passage of protons via a hopping mechanism to illustrate the continuum of the impulse through the system, via the soma following the dendrites. This is proposed to be a continuum invoked by the proton hopping method.
Results:
With the proposal of the activity through the dendrites, via proton hopping, a complete model of the nerve function is invoked. At each step to the way, a water pathway is present and is invoked in the proposed model as the carrier of the message via proton hopping. The importance of the dendrites is evident by the presence of a vast number of spines, each possessing the possibility to carry unique messages through the nervous system.
Conclusion:
With this model of the role of dendrites, functioning with the presence of proton hopping, a complete model of the nerve system is presented. The validity of this model will be available for further studies and models to assess it's validity.
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