livescience.com— Nerves transmit sound waves through your body, not electrical pulses, according to a controversial new study that tries to explain the longstanding mystery of how anesthetics work.
Mar 14, 2007View in Crawl 4
The group isn't saying that electrical current isn't necessary. They are just looking at how anesthesia works. Apparently they are saying that anesthesia makes nerve membrane turn to putty. Since electrical currents should still be able to occur, then pain should be able to be transmitted. Without anesthesia, then the nerve membranes are semi-rigid (which is need for the transmission of sound). The publication is here if you want to read it.<a class="user" href="http://plaza.ufl.edu/bunger/pdf/sound.pdf">http://plaza.ufl.edu/bunger/pdf/sound.pdf</a>
The nerve cells transmit signals by shuttling potasium, sodium and calcium ions across the membrane, and doing this produces an electric field. There ain't no sound involved.Perhaps anastheics work by altering the dielectric constant of the cell wall, or by reducing the rate at which charge transfer occurs, or selectively binding to inhibitory receptors? I mean if nerves did work by transferring sound waves, it would be possible to take a stroboscopic picture of the nerve twitching away in real time, but plainly that isn't the case - also consider the difference between myleinated and non-myleinated nerves - when you stub your toe you feel two bursts of pain, one immediate along the insulated nerve and the other delayed. ... the speed of sound can't be low enough to explain the slow one.
I don't really see this as being impossible. I can't say that i know much about neurobiology, but it seems like the arguments most of the arguments against this article are not really relevant. Most of the discussions center around the fact that there is a lot of evidence showing that neurons communicate with cells via electrical signals. This may be the case, however, the article doesn't seem to be discussing how neurons communicate with cells, but rather the way in which signals are sent down a nerve. They could just be saying that between the point in which the nerve receives an electrical signal and the point where it transmits the signal to another cell, the message is sent via "sound" waves. It doesnt seem impossible for this to be true since our body is constantly converting sound waves to electrical signals by means of our ears.just a thought
As a reflexologist I have longed for the day when someone would be able to find impulses that traveled by sound or other signal. It looks like this may be the beginning.Things I have noticed about reflexes and impulses: How is it when you press a specified area in the feet it effects an organ or gland directly? Since the impulse cannot travel through the central nervous system from the foot aspect to the kidneys directly, why discount sound as the connection? Sound and frequency impulses are just at the most evolutionary aspect of discovery.Lets keep in open mind as science gives us more and more clues.Doug Holland, ReflexologyNation.com
iowaboyjcbMar 15, 2007
The group isn't saying that electrical current isn't necessary. They are just looking at how anesthesia works. Apparently they are saying that anesthesia makes nerve membrane turn to putty. Since electrical currents should still be able to occur, then pain should be able to be transmitted. Without anesthesia, then the nerve membranes are semi-rigid (which is need for the transmission of sound). The publication is here if you want to read it.<a class="user" href="http://plaza.ufl.edu/bunger/pdf/sound.pdf">http://plaza.ufl.edu/bunger/pdf/sound.pdf</a>
jdeppMar 15, 2007
The nerve cells transmit signals by shuttling potasium, sodium and calcium ions across the membrane, and doing this produces an electric field. There ain't no sound involved.Perhaps anastheics work by altering the dielectric constant of the cell wall, or by reducing the rate at which charge transfer occurs, or selectively binding to inhibitory receptors? I mean if nerves did work by transferring sound waves, it would be possible to take a stroboscopic picture of the nerve twitching away in real time, but plainly that isn't the case - also consider the difference between myleinated and non-myleinated nerves - when you stub your toe you feel two bursts of pain, one immediate along the insulated nerve and the other delayed. ... the speed of sound can't be low enough to explain the slow one.
Closed AccountMar 15, 2007
i don't even know what to believe now, i doubt my nerves are screaming at each other
merdeonmeMar 15, 2007
I don't really see this as being impossible. I can't say that i know much about neurobiology, but it seems like the arguments most of the arguments against this article are not really relevant. Most of the discussions center around the fact that there is a lot of evidence showing that neurons communicate with cells via electrical signals. This may be the case, however, the article doesn't seem to be discussing how neurons communicate with cells, but rather the way in which signals are sent down a nerve. They could just be saying that between the point in which the nerve receives an electrical signal and the point where it transmits the signal to another cell, the message is sent via "sound" waves. It doesnt seem impossible for this to be true since our body is constantly converting sound waves to electrical signals by means of our ears.just a thought
Closed AccountMar 16, 2007
The Chinese and Tibetans have been using sound for healing for millenia:<a class="user" href="http://digg.com/health/8_Pranic_Taoist_Healing_Sounds_for_Manifesting_Your_Desires">http://digg.com/health/8_Pranic_Taoist_Healing_Sounds_for_Manifesting_Your_Desires</a>
bigdougMar 18, 2007
As a reflexologist I have longed for the day when someone would be able to find impulses that traveled by sound or other signal. It looks like this may be the beginning.Things I have noticed about reflexes and impulses: How is it when you press a specified area in the feet it effects an organ or gland directly? Since the impulse cannot travel through the central nervous system from the foot aspect to the kidneys directly, why discount sound as the connection? Sound and frequency impulses are just at the most evolutionary aspect of discovery.Lets keep in open mind as science gives us more and more clues.Doug Holland, ReflexologyNation.com
myidoruMar 21, 2007
Twaddle.