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An electron microscope study of types of receptor in the chick retina
Author(s) -
Morris Valerie B.,
Shorey C. D.
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.901290404
Subject(s) - biology , retina , outer plexiform layer , anatomy , biophysics , inner plexiform layer , ultrastructure , neuroscience
Rods, double cones which comprise a principal and an accessory cone, and two types of single cones occur in the chick retina. The rod is narrow and contains a paraboloid, a basal nucleus and a small synaptic body with long synaptic lamellae. The principal cone has a pale‐staining oil droplet and is aligned against an accessory cone, which has a paraboloid, no oil droplet, but a small granular vesicle instead. The synaptic body of the principal cone is large and partly surrounds that of its associated accessory cone. The synaptic body of the accessory cone has a long process extending into the outer plexiform layer. Single cone type I has a dark oil droplet and the mitochondria in the ellipsoid are dense with cristae. Single cone type II has a lighter‐staining oil droplet and fewer cristae. The synaptic bodies of both types of single cone lie vitreal to those of rods and double cones. Fibres connect the synaptic body to the nuclear region in single cones and accessory cones, but not in rods and principal cones. Another type of synaptic body, which is not that of a receptor, occurs in the outer plexiform layer. Groups of small vesicles, like those in the synaptic body, occur near the base of the inner segments; synaptic vesicles may originate here. Muller cells separate each receptor, except the members of a double cone, at the outer limiting membrane and may position the receptors in relation to the pigment epithelium to allow a radial orientation of the inner and outer segments.