Neuroquantology, the Ultimate Quest - Brain Theory from a Circuits and Systems Perspective - page 153

Vesicles

Tunnels Electrons Dendrite

Boutons (Pre Synaptic Terminals)

Spines (Post
Synaptic Terminals)
Synaptic Cleft

Axons

Fig. 9.3 Numerous synapses

synchronization would increase the power of neurons for high-level operations
relating to consciousness. The possibility of synchronized synapses is important
and cannot be ignored, but better proof is needed.
Opposition to Walker's proposal centers on the view that electrons are unneces-
sary to synaptic firing [ 8 ]. Thermal energy is claimed to be sufficient. Walker's
proposal involves electrons that come from inside a neuron to control synaptic
firing and neural pulse generation. What is inside has been proposed to contribute to
human intelligence in other even more exotic ways.

Quantum Computations Inside Neurons and Microtubules

Penrose originally proposed a superposition of neurons “firing and not firing” that
are capable of quantum computations [ 1 ]. Later Penrose and Hameroff proposed
that microtubules (supporting structures in neurons) might hold qubits that interact
and compute, and might even have a way to interact other neurons [ 9 ].