Signal Transmission from Photoreceptors to Ganglion Cells in the Visual System of the Giant Barnacle

Abstract

The first few integrative stages of the visual systems of almost all animals perform similar functions. These functions include adaptation to a wide range of light intensities, amplification of the small signals generated by dim lights, and conversion of steady responses to transient signals. In an attempt to understand the synaptic and integrative mechanisms underlying early visual processing, we have recorded intracellularly from photoreceptors and postsynaptic cells in the visual system of the giant barnacle. The large size, accessibility and small number of cells in this preparation should permit detailed analysis of visual mechanisms.