Morphology of physiologically identified X-, Y-, and W-type retinal ganglion cells of the cat

Abstract

Retinal ganglion cells of the cat have been classified physiologically into X-, Y-, and W-cells on the basis of the receptive field properties, and morphologically into alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cells. In order to study directly the correspondence between these classifications, intracellular recordings from the ganglion cells in superfused eye-cup preparations were made with the aid of microelectrodes filled with Lucifer yellow CH. The cells were stained after their photic responses were studied under mesopic adaptation. X-cells, showing sustained depolarization (on-center cells) or hyperpolarization (off-center cells) in response to a spot of light had medium-sized round somata and spread bushy dendrites within a narrow retinal area. On the other hand, on-center and off-center Y-cells, showing transient responses to the spot stimulus, had large somata and widely expanded thick dendrites which were sparsely branched. W-cells which showed weak sustained responses had widely extended thin and winding dendrites, despite a small somal size. These morphological features of Y-, X-, and sustained W-cells correspond well to those of alpha-, beta-, and delta-cells (a subtype of gamma-cells), respectively. The hypothesis of "morphology reflecting function" is strongly supported.