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Science 7 March 1975:
Vol. 187. no. 4179, pp. 838 - 841
DOI: 10.1126/science.1114328
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Articles

Science, Vol 187, Issue 4179, 838-841
Copyright © 1975 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Quantum sensitivity of rods in the toad retina

GL Fain

A dark-adapted toad rod can respond consistently to flashes of light which bleach an average of less than one pigment molecule in its outer segment. These responses are much less variable in amplitude than would be expected if rods were independent quantum detectors. Rods interact with one another by pooling their signals, so that at least 85 to 90 percent of the response recorded from a single rod is generated by pigment molecules bleached in other receptors.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Bandpass Filtering at the Rod to Second-Order Cell Synapse in Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) Retina.
C. E. Armstrong-Gold and F. Rieke (2003)
J. Neurosci. 23, 3796-3806
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Photovoltage of Macaque Cone Photoreceptors: Adaptation, Noise, and Kinetics.
D. M. Schneeweis and J. L. Schnapf (1999)
J. Neurosci. 19, 1203-1216
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Photovoltage of rods and cones in the macaque retina.
D. Schneeweis and J. Schnapf (1995)
Science 268, 1053-1056
   Abstract »    PDF »
Receptor Coupling in the Toad Retina.
G. L. Fain, G. H. Gold, and J. E. Dowling (1976)
Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol 40, 547-561
   Abstract »    PDF »


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