In <3gbis1$i0j at onramp.arc.nasa.gov> brp at recon.arc.nasa.gov (Bruce Raoul Parnas) writes:
>Does anyone have a pointer to material dealing with the
>density of photoreceptors as a function of radial distance
>from the retina in humans? A plot of density versus distance
>would be most welcome.
>I've checked the standard sources: Kandel, Schwartz and Jessell,
>Dowling's work, stuff by Westheimer, and have done a Medline
>search. I'm sure this info is around somewhere in the older
>literature, but reference materials don't seem to have it.
>Thanx,
I think you are looking for a study by Osterberg, published in 1935
in either Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, or Acta Ophthalmologica.
This was a light microscopic examination of a retina of an enucleated eye
from a 16 year old. Do not have the exact reference, but would think that
Tom Cornsweet in his book "Visual Perception" cites it. This is the
classic study of receptor density, giving a plot of rods and cones as a
function distance from the fovea. It involved basically detailed counting
of receptors from one retina. I recall seeing a poster at a conference
some years ago, where the authors had used very sophisticated computers
and gizzmos to do exactly the same thing. I asked them if there was any
difference between their results and those of Osterberg. Their reply was,
essentially, no. So, I said "have a nice day" them, and turned to the
next poster :-)
>brp
