Abstract
Intracellular electrophysiological recordings were obtained from a specialized class of 'starburst' amacrine cells by using an isolated superperfused retina-eyecup preparation of the rabbit. These cells were injected intracellularly with horseradish peroxidase and identified with light microscopy. A computer-controlled image-processing system was used to map and display the three-dimensional dendritic organization and provide information on length and sublaminar distribution of dendritic processes. Starburst amacrines show an unusual dendritic architecture that includes thin intermediate dendritic segments. Analysis with steady-state cable equations suggests that these thin segments may provide electrical isolation of distal processes, raising the possibility that a single dendrite, which lies beyond the thin segment, may constitute a functional subunit of the cell.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 3069-3073 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 80 |
Issue number | 10 I |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1983 |
Externally published | Yes |