Experimental Brain Research

, Volume 76, Issue 1, pp 229–238 | Cite as

The orientation of horizontal cell dendrites in the superior colliculus of the hamster: an analysis based on three-dimensional reconstruction of intracellularly injected neurons

  • R. W. Rhoades
  • W. H. Rohrer
  • R. D. Mooney
  • S. Ruiz
Article
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Summary

We have employed intracellular injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and 3-dimensional, computer-assisted reconstruction to delineate the organization of the dendrites of horizontal cells in the superficial laminae (the stratum griseum superficiale-SGS, and stratum opticum-SO) of the hamster's superior colliculus. Fifteen well-filled cells were analyzed. The dendrites of these cells were generally parallel to the frontal plane. An average of 74.8±13.0% of the total dendritic arbor of the recovered horizontal cells was located within 30° of this plane. The long axis of horizontal cell dendritic trees deviated an average (mean ± s.d.) of 21.7±13.2° from the frontal plane and the average extent of the dendritic tree in this plane was 637±216 μm. This differed significantly from the average dendritic extent in the rostrocaudal axis (358±146 μm, p<0.001). In some cases, portions of the dendritic arbors of horizontal cells appeared to be oriented along lines of isoelevation or isoazimuth of the visual field representation in the superficial laminae. For other cells, there was no clear relationship between dendritic orientation and the visual field map.

Key words

Optic tectum Dendritic morphology Hamster 
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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 1989

Authors and Affiliations

  • R. W. Rhoades
    • 1
  • W. H. Rohrer
    • 2
  • R. D. Mooney
    • 1
  • S. Ruiz
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of AnatomyMedical College of Ohio, CS 10008ToledoUSA
  2. 2.Department of AnatomyUniversity of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Osteopathic Medicine, and Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUSA

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