Summary
Intracellular potentials from the retina of the flyCalliphora erythrocephala were recorded by means of microcapillary electrodes. The type of cell examined and the exact locus of the recording sites were identified. The potentials were shown to come from the axons of visual cells (presynaptic) and from the axons of monopolar neurons (postsynaptic). The light stimulus employed consisted of step, impulse and sine-wave forms. The presynaptic responses consisted of graded depolarizing potentials while the postsynaptic responses were of a hyperpolarizing type. The former potentials had a slower time course than the postsynaptic potentials and they differed from these latter potentials by another transfer function. Problems were discussed concerning the presynaptic potential in its function as a generator potential for the postsynaptic potentials; and the transduction properties of the synapse. The synapse works as a frequency dependent amplifier with a synaptic delay of 1 msec.
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Supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
Sincere appreciation is expressed to Professor H. Autrum for his continued interest and encouragement throughout this work. We also wish to thank Dr. R. E. Baker for translating the German manuscript into English.
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Järvilehto, M., Zettler, F. Localized intracellular potentials from pre- and postsynaptic components in the external plexiform layer of an insect retina. Z. Vergl. Physiol. 75, 422–440 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630561
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00630561