Leventhal A G, Thompson K G, Liu D
Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132.
J Comp Neurol. 1993 Dec 8;338(2):242-54. doi: 10.1002/cne.903380208.
The morphology and distribution of retinal ganglion cells within the foveola of New World (Saimiri sciureus) and Old World (Macaca fascicularis) monkeys labeled as a result of horseradish peroxidase injections into the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus were studied. The results indicate that monkey's foveola normally contains significant numbers of retinal ganglion cells. Most of these project ipsilaterally. Cells within the foveola are larger than other cells in monkey central retina; their dendritic fields are up to 50 times larger in area than those of cells in the foveal slope. The dendritic fields of the ganglion cells within the foveola cover at least 70-100% of its area. Among ganglion cells within the foveola (as in most ganglion cells), there was a strong tendency for the axon and dendritic tree to arise from opposite poles of the soma. The axon-dendrite axes of ganglion cells within the foveola did not show a consistent pattern. In contrast, the axes of ganglion cells in the transition zone between the foveola and the foveal slope were directed tangentially to the circumference of the fovea. The dendritic coverage of the foveola by retinal ganglion cells suggests functional significance and provides a possible neural basis for 2-3 degrees of bilateral representation of the fovea within the central visual pathways. Alternatively, or in addition, these cells may be "remnants of foveation" and provide insight into the developmental processes that mediate the development of the fovea.
研究了经辣根过氧化物酶注射到背外侧膝状核后标记的新大陆猴（松鼠猴）和旧大陆猴（食蟹猴）小凹内视网膜神经节细胞的形态和分布。结果表明，猴的小凹通常含有大量视网膜神经节细胞。其中大多数向同侧投射。小凹内的细胞比猴中央视网膜中的其他细胞大；它们的树突野面积比小凹斜坡处细胞的树突野面积大50倍。小凹内神经节细胞的树突野至少覆盖其面积的70 - 100%。在小凹内的神经节细胞中（与大多数神经节细胞一样），轴突和树突树强烈倾向于从胞体的相对两极发出。小凹内神经节细胞的轴突 - 树突轴没有显示出一致的模式。相比之下，小凹和小凹斜坡之间过渡区的神经节细胞轴突切向于小凹的圆周方向。视网膜神经节细胞对小凹的树突覆盖表明其具有功能意义，并为中央视觉通路中小凹的2至3度双侧表征提供了可能的神经基础。或者，或者此外，这些细胞可能是“中央凹形成的残余物”，并为介导中央凹发育的发育过程提供见解。
