Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2025

Measuring Properties of the Membrane Periodic Skeleton of the Axon Initial Segment using 3D-Structured Illumination Microscopy 3D-SIM
Published on: February 11, 2022
Consciousness and the Axon Initial Segment
1Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. majid.beshkar@gmail.com.
Abstract:
According to the QBIT theory, consciousness depends on the emergence of macroscopic coherence in a specific intracellular substrate which registers and processes sensory information. This occurs in a particular neuronal compartment called the axon initial segment which has unique properties not found in other neuronal segments. These unique properties allow the integration of synaptic inputs, amplification of sensory signals, and spontaneous emergence of coherence which is necessary for conscious perception.
Related Concept Videos
Neurons: The Axon
The axon attaches to the cell body at a cone-shaped elevation called the axon hillock. The initial part of the axon, closest to the hillock, is known as the initial segment....
Action Potential
Membrane potential in neurons
Neurons typically have a resting membrane potential of about -70 millivolts (mV). When they...
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential....
Neuron Structure
Structure and Function of Neurons
The neuronal cell body—the soma— houses the nucleus and organelles vital to...
Propagation of Action Potentials
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...
Action Potential: Phases of Stimulation
Resting Phase:
In this phase, the cell's membrane is at its resting potential, typically around -70 millivolts (mV) for neurons. Inside the cell, there is a higher concentration of potassium ions (K+) and a lower concentration of sodium ions (Na+). Voltage-gated sodium channels are closed, and...

