Summary
The dipteran photoreceptors of type R1–6 and the monopolar neurons of type L1–2 have been investigated. The light-induced intracellular potentials within a single cell type vary according to the part of the cell from which they are recorded. Current passed artificially through the cell membrane could influence these light-induced potentials. The nature of the dependence of the potentials upon such a current also varies within a single cell type, according to the part of the cell in which this dependence is studied. From these experiments one can conclude the following:
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1.
Neither in the receptor cells nor in the monopolar neurons do the light-induced signals consist of trains of spikes.
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2.
The spread of graded potentials along the axon is passive in the receptor cells and active in the monopolar neurons.
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This work was supported by a grant from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. We also are indebted to Dr. Marguerite A. Biederman-Thorson for translating the German text into English.
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Zettler, F., Järvilehto, M. Active and passive axonal propagation of non-spike signals in the retina ofCalliphora . J. Comp. Physiol. 85, 89–104 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00694142
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00694142