1) The visual center responses to optic nerve stimulation were recorded by the active electrode leading from the surface of tectum opticum in fishes, chiefly Carassius auratus (L.), typifying the diurnal fish, and Anguilla japonica T. et S. as the nocturnal fish.
2) The maximal response in Carassius consisted of the surface negative potential having two components following a surface positive deflection. The later component of the surface negative potential (P 2) has higher threshold than the early component's (P 1). On the positive deflection was superposed two negative spikes representing the action potentials of the pre-synaptic optic nerve fibers. Judging from the results with procaine treatment and with microelectrode recording, the surface negative potential was assignable to the postsynaptic potential.
3) The response in eel was made up of only the P 2 as the post-synaptic component.
4) The topographic variation in the pattern of the response to the optic nerve stimulation took place by a similar manner as those in the response to illumination of the eye with respect to the appearance of the two components of the post-synaptic potential. Dominant appearance of the P 2 was at the inner side of dorsal aspect of the tectum, and that of the P 1 was at the caudo-lateral region.
5) Considering the above two findings and the results on the response to photic stimulation reported previously (1960), it is inferred that the P 1 and the P 2 may correspond to the two post-synaptic components caused by the illumination of the eye, the PSP 1 and the PSP 2 respectively.
6) The two components of the post-synaptic potential may represent the activities of different groups of neurons within the center having different physiological nature.
7) The post-synaptic potentials failed to follow the repetitive stimuli with the intervals below the absolute refractory period, but the cessation of the stimulation evoked a response. The response induced by the cessation of repetitive stimuli (off-response) increased its size as the intervals of stimuli were decreased, whereas the response following the first stimulus (on-response) tended to be inhibited.
8) The P 1 had lower threshold in response to the first stimulus of repe titive stimulation, whereas the P 2 at the cessation of the repetition.
9) The mechanism of the generation of the delayed post-synaptic potential caused by the illumination of the eye (PSP 2) as reported previously (1960) was discussed in the light of the present results.
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