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Visual and non‐visual factors in the centripetal stimulation of postnatal growth of the visual centers in mice
Author(s) -
Gyllensten Lars,
Malmfors Torbjörn,
NorrlinGrettve MarieLouise
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.901310410
Subject(s) - darkness , biology , superior colliculi , stimulation , anatomy , optic nerve , lateral geniculate nucleus , nucleus , superior colliculus , visual system , neuroscience , visual cortex , botany
The diameter of cell nuclei and mean volume of internuclear material per nucleus were determinated in the visual corte, lateral geniculate bodies and superior colliculi in growing mice. The influence of bilateral removal of the eyes at birth was studied, and compared with the effects of rearing the animals in complete darkness from birth. Bilateral removal of the eyes caused a decrease in nuclear size and relative voulme of internuclear material at two and four months after birth. Compared to similar changes in dark‐reared mice, the decreases were greater in the mice without eyes, particularly in the subcortical visual centers. After eye removal, no growth of nuclei and internuclear material was observed between two and four months of age. This is in contrast to the findings in dark‐reared mice, in which partial “normalization” occurred during prolonged stay in the dark betwen two and four months. It is concluded that the postnatal growth and differentiation of the visual centers are stimulated both by visual stimuli and by non‐visual stimuli from the optic nerve fibers.