Varicosities of Intraretinal Ganglion Cell Axons in Human and Nonhuman Primates

Abstract

The results demonstrated that intraretinal ganglion cell axons are predominantly varicose fibers in both human and nonhuman primates. Size variations exist within a single axon's diameter and thereby affect the patterns of diameter distribution seen in transverse-cut preparations. The mitochondria-rich varicosities and the presence of intercellular junctions suggest that the varicosities may be functional sites that serve local high-energy demands of unmyelinated fibers and signal transmission.