Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

ON and OFF layers in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the mink

Abstract

The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), a major target of the optic nerve in mammals, is a laminated structure, although the pattern of lamination varies widely among different species. It has long been known that one function of the lamination is to segregate input from the two eyes. Many animals, however, have more than one layer innervated by each eye; the functional significance of these duplications has been only partially elucidated. In the mink, the principal layers innervated by the contralateral eye (layer A) and the ipsilateral eye (layer A1) are each split into two adjacent leaflets1. We report here that the anterior leaflet of each pair contains ON-centre neurones and the posterior leaflets OFF-centre neurones.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sanderson, K. J. J. comp. Neurol. 153, 239–266 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T. N. J. Physiol., Lond. 160, 106–154 (1962).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Guillery, R. W. J. comp. Neurol. 138, 339–368 (1970).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Sanderson, K. J. J. comp. Neurol. 143, 101–118 (1971).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T. N. J. Physiol., Lond. 155, 385–398 (1961).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hoffmann, K.-P., Stone, J. & Sherman, S. M. J. Neurophysiol. 35, 518–531 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Enroth-Cugell, C. & Robson, J. C. J. Physiol., Lond. 187, 517–552 (1966).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Dreher, B., Fukuda, Y. & Rodieck, R. W. J. Physiol., Lond. 258, 433–452 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Conway, J., Schiller, P. H. & Misler, L. Neurosci. Abstr. 6, 583 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Norton, T. T. & Casagrande, V. A. J. Neurophysiol. 47, 715–741 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Schiller, P. H. & Malpeli, J. G. J. Neurophysiol. 41, 788–797 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Nelson, R., Famiglietti, E. V. Jr & Kolb, H. J. Neurophysiol. 41, 472–483 (1978).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Hubel, D. H. & Wiesel, T. N. J. comp. Neurol. 146, 421–450 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Harting, J. K., Diamond, I. T. & Hall, W. C. J. comp. Neurol. 150, 393–440 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Singer, W. Physiol. Rev. 57, 386–420 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Dubin, M. W. & Cleland, B. G. J. Neurophysiol. 40, 410–427 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Le Vay, S., McConnell, S. ON and OFF layers in the lateral geniculate nucleus of the mink. Nature 300, 350–351 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/300350a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/300350a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing