Temperature effects on the electroretinogram of the isolated carp retina.

The electroretinogram was recorded from the isolated retina of the carp while the temperature was varied systematically and while the preparation was under the influence of various pharmacological agents. In addition to the a-wave and the b-wave, the electroretinogram gave evidence of early and late oscillatory potentials. The procedures selectively modified the prominence of these and other less conspicuous components. A particularly significant finding was that some oscillatory potentials are largest at intermediate temperatures, but that they persist to very low ones. It is suggested that temperature control, variation of stimulus intensity, and the application of pharmacological agents may be combined to provide a useful method of separating retinal response components.