Responses of single rods in the retina of the turtle

Abstract

1. The responses of rods in the retina of the turtle, Chelydra serpentina, have been studied by intracellular recording.2. The identification of rods as the origin of the recorded responses has been confirmed by marking with Procion Yellow.3. The response to a small spot of light was a hyperpolarization which increased with increasing light intensity. For dim, small diameter stimuli, the shape of the rod response was similar to that of cones but 2x slower and 2x larger in amplitude. The time integral of the rod response to a dim, small diameter flash is, therefore, approximately 4x greater than the integral of the cone response.4. The shape of the rod response depended on the pattern of retinal illumination as well as stimulus intensity. Enlarging the area of illumination increased the peak amplitude and delayed repolarization following a light step. The area of retina which influenced the response was approximately 200 mum in radius.5. It is concluded that for dim light the responses of rods are larger than those of cones because of (i) a greater response to direct illumination and (ii) an enhancement of response by interaction from a large retinal area.