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The Neural Basis of Early Vision pp 19–38Cite as

The Cone Pedicle, the First Synapse in the Retina

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Part of the book series: Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine ((KEIO,volume 11))

Abstract

Cone pedicles are the output synapses of cone photoreceptors and transfer the light signal onto the dendrites of bipolar and horizontal cells. In the macaque monkey retina, cone pedicles contain between 20 and 45 ribbon synapses (triads), which are the release sites for glutamate, the cone transmitter [11, 13, 19, 22, 41]. Triads comprise a presynaptic ribbon, two horizontal dendrites as lateral elements, and one or two ON-cone bipolar cell dendrites as central elements (Fig. 1). Flat contacts are formed in most instances by the dendrites of OFF-cone bipolar cells at the cone pedicle base [19]. Glutamate released continuously at the synaptic ribbons acts not only through direct contacts but to an even greater extent through diffusion to the appropriate glutamate receptors (GluRs) [72].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany

    Heinz Wässle & Silke Haverkamp

  2. Department of Physiology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Ulrike Grünert

  3. Neurological Science Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, USA

    Catherine W. Morgans

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  1. Heinz Wässle
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  2. Silke Haverkamp
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  3. Ulrike Grünert
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  4. Catherine W. Morgans
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, 160-8582, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Akimichi Kaneko M.D., Ph.D. (Professor) (Professor)

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Wässle, H., Haverkamp, S., Grünert, U., Morgans, C.W. (2003). The Cone Pedicle, the First Synapse in the Retina. In: Kaneko, A. (eds) The Neural Basis of Early Vision. Keio University International Symposia for Life Sciences and Medicine, vol 11. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-68447-3_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-68447-3_6

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