Translations:Orientation Selective Ganglion Cell/32/en

Orientation selective ganglion cells may synthesize the neurotransmitter GABA and have been found to have GABA concentrations that are very similar to those found in amacrine cells. GABA from amacrine cells may enter these ganglion cells through channels present at gap junctions. The molecule glycine is also thought to pass through these channels from amacrine to ganglion cells.

History

In 1967, Levick was the first to describe the properties of three new types of retinal ganglion cells found in the rabbit retina: orientation selective ganglion cells, local-edge detectors, and uniformity detectors. Before strips of light were oriented at different angles on the receptive fields in this study, it was thought that these ganglion cells had off-center surround concentric receptive fields. Levick described the receptive fields of orientation selective ganglion cells as either being horizontally or vertically selective and mentioned that the receptive fields had incomplete antagonistic surrounds. He proposed that the neurons in the retina process visual information and organize information before it is sent to higher centers in the brain for further processing.