Summary
Action potentials evoked by stepwise-moving visual stimuli have been recorded extracellularly from the horizontally selective movement detectors in the lobula complex of the blowflyCalliphora erythrocephala (M.).
Regarding the relation between the ommatidial mosaic structure of the compound eye and the behaviour of the detector, the following experimental results are obtained:
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a)
Maximum reactions are obtained for stimuli which move with a stepwidth equal toδϕ h, whereδϕ h is the effective interommatidial angle.
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b)
When using stepwise moving single contrast borders the reaction to a moving Dark over Bright contrast border is always greater than or equal to the reaction evoked by a moving Bright over Dark contrast border.
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c)
From experiments with spatially small stimuli in which only a few rows of adjoining ommatidia are stimulated, the conclusion is drawn that the sensitivity distribution of the detector is spatially modulated with a period which equals the interommatidial angleδϕ.
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d)
If the spatial wavelengthλ s of a square wave grating is adjusted in such a way thatδϕ h<λ s<2δϕ h, the reaction of the detector is reversed: movement in the preferred direction results in inhibition and movement in the null direction results in excitation.
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We thank all our colleagues of the Department of Biophysics. Discussions with Mr. D.G.M. Beersma markedly improved the presentation of the results. We are indebted to Mr. B. Pijpker and Mr. E. Nienhuis for technical help. Miss H.E. Deenen carefully typed the manuscript, Mr. B. Kamps drew the figures.
Through the foundation “Stichting voor Biofysica” this research was supported by the “ Netherlands Organization for the Advancement of Pure Research” (Z.W.O.).
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Zaagman, W.H., Mastebroek, H.A.K., Buyse, T. et al. Receptive field characteristics of a directionally selective movement detector in the visual system of the blowfly. J. Comp. Physiol. 116, 39–50 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00605515
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00605515