Reciprocal inhibition as indicated by a differential staining reaction.

Neurohistological and neurophysiological studies have shown that the bilaterally represented Mauthner's cells in teleosts are related both structurally and functionally. The VIIIth nerve afferents, as well as the axoaxonal collaterals, display a distribution pattern which supports the concept of polar function of the neuron. Inasmuch as it is possible to alter the staining reaction of both the Mauthner's cells by unilateral stimulation of the entering VIIIth nerve roots, it is proposed that the synaptic endings serve principally as activators and that neuronal excitation or inhibition is determined by the chemical state of the dendrites, the cell body, and the axon hillock region.