The ERGs of the toad and the carp were compared with special reference to the histological differences of both retinae.
1. A usual ERG of the carp was predominated by the negative PIII, while that of the toad consisted of well-marked, a, b and d-waves. It was to be noted that electrical responses recorded from the receptor surface of the carp's inverted retina was not a mirror image of the usual ERG, while those from the toad's inverted retina was a mirror image of the usual ERG.
2. Intraretinal recordings in the eye-cup preparations with a 3M KCl-filled micropipette electrode showed that in the toad's retina a phase reversal of all components of the ERG occurred at the depth of 160μ, but that in the carp's retina no phase reversal took place at any depth. From this finding it may seem that in th e carp's retina there is no electrical dipole layer in contrast to the presence of it in the toad's retina.
3. When 1% KCl solution was applied to the inner surface of the retinae, the negative PIII component and its counterpart of opposite polarity in the intraretinal response were isolated in both retinae of the carp and the toad.
4. By application of 10% ethylalcohol solution to the inner surface of the retinae the positive component PII and its counterpart of negative polarity in the intraretinal response were isolated in the carp's retina. In toad's retina the action of this agent was to suppress the negative component of the ERG and its counterpart of positive polarity in the deep lead, and to augment the positive component of the ERG and its negative counterpart in the deep response.
5. The findings of 3 and 4 would show that there are at least two electrical dipole layers of opposite polarities in the carp's retina.
6. Histological examination of both retinae showed that the outer nuclear layer is thinner and containing a smaller number of constituent nuclei in the toad's retina than in the carp's one, while the inner nuclear layer is thicker and occupied by more nuclei in the toad's retina than in the carp's one.
7. From these findings the mechanism was discussed about the generation of the ERG.
8. Some S-potentials were found to show a phase reversal depending upon the intensity level of stimulating light.
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