Rapid mechanical changes in crab nerve and squid axon during action potentials.
1. By using a Fotonic sensor, it was found possible to record rapid mechanical responses of the crab nerve without a signal averager. 2. In squid giant axons, the peak of swelling was shown to coincide fairly accurately with the peak of the action potential. 3. Associated with propagation of an action potential along a squid giant axon, there is a small decrease followed by an increase in the length of the axon. 4. It was emphasized that both mechanical and birefringence responses of the squid axon are diphasic. 5. The origin of the mechanical responses in axons is discussed on the basis of the theories proposed by LOEB, HOBER and TEORELL.
D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D003386:Brachyura; D049832:Decapodiformes; D008722:Methods; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*