Experimental Brain Research

, Volume 44, Issue 1, pp 27–33 | Cite as

Rabbit retinal ganglion cells

Receptive field classification and axonal conduction properties
  • D. I. Vaney
  • W. R. Levick
  • L. N. Thibos
Article

Summary

The classification of concentrically organized receptive fields of rabbit retinal ganglion cells was extended along similar lines to that in the cat by distinguishing brisk and sluggish classes and then sustained and transient types of each. Quantitative measures of responsiveness to stationary and to moving stimuli revealed characteristic features which distinguished these classes. Brisk-transient and brisk-sustained classes are not as distinct from each other as in the cat: centre size distributions overlapped almost completely and there was also substantial overlap of axonal conduction properties whether expressed in terms of latency or conduction velocity between two central stimulus sites. Representatives of every class of rabbit ganglion cells sent axons to the superior colliculus.

Key words

Rabbit retina Ganglion cell classification Axonal conduction velocity Superior colliculus 

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1981

Authors and Affiliations

  • D. I. Vaney
    • 1
  • W. R. Levick
    • 1
  • L. N. Thibos
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of PhysiologyJohn Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia

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