QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bloomfield, S. A. Articles by Hitchcock, P. F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bloomfield, S. A. Articles by Hitchcock, P. F.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 11, 910-917, Copyright © 1991 by Society for Neuroscience

ARTICLE

Dendritic arbors of large-field ganglion cells show scaled growth during expansion of the goldfish retina: a study of morphometric and electrotonic properties

SA Bloomfield and PF Hitchcock
Department of Ophthalmology, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016.

The retina of the goldfish grows by a balloon-like expansion and by the addition of new neurons at the margin. It has been proposed that as a consequence of this expansion the dendritic arbors of ganglion cells in central retina grow in a uniform manner without the addition of new branches. In the present study, we have examined this proposal by comparing the geometries of individual dendritic arbors of large-field ganglion cells from the retinas of small/young and large/old fish. These comparisons were based on measurements of several parameters of dendritic morphology, including number of segments and branches, branch angles, changes in diameter at branch points, and proximal versus distal distribution of arbor length. In addition, we used passive, steady-state cable modeling as an independent method of estimating the functional architectures of small and large dendritic arbors. Our morphometric data indicate that, though they are very different in absolute size, dendritic arbors of small and large ganglion cells have remarkably similar architectures. Analysis with steady-state cable equations indicates that the arbors from small and large cells have equivalent electrotonic lengths and show comparable propagation of synaptic currents. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that dendritic arbors of small and large ganglion cells are scaled versions of one another. We conclude that the growth of these cells during the expansion of the retina is the result of the addition of dendritic mass to an arbor whose basic geometry remains unchanged.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Xu and N. Tian Pathway-Specific Maturation, Visual Deprivation, and Development of Retinal Pathway Neuroscientist, August 1, 2004; 10(4): 337 - 346. [Abstract] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help