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Unitary recordings of near threshold responses of receptor cells in the olfactory mucosa of the frog.
Author(s) -
Drongelen W
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.1978.sp012282
Subject(s) - stimulation , olfactory bulb , poisson distribution , chemistry , biophysics , detection threshold , olfactory mucosa , bulb , receptor potential , receptor , neuroscience , olfactory system , biology , mathematics , biochemistry , central nervous system , statistics , ecology , real time computing , computer science
1. Receptor cell activity in the frog's eminentia olfactoria was recorded using metal‐filled micro‐electrodes. 2. Several units discharged spontaneously with a mean frequency lower than 0.2 spikes per sec, or were silent in periods of up to 5 min. The other units displayed spontaneous activities between 0.2 and 1.05 spikes per sec; their activity could be modelled with a Poisson process. 3. Near‐threshold responses to odour stimulation were investigated, considering several stimulations within a small concentration range. Low concentration stimulations were sometimes followed by a response, sometimes not. The concept of response probability is introduced to describe this incertitude. 4. The distribution of the number of spikes in several odour trials at low concentrations showed a reasonable agreement with two types of Poisson distribution. 5. The findings are discussed in connexion with receptor cell sensitivity and the excitation of second order neurones in the bulb.