title: Blue-sensitive cones of the cat produce a rodlike electroretinogram.
abstract: Two cone mechanisms are identifiable in the strongly yellow light-adapted electroretinogram (ERG) of the arterially perfused cat eye. One has its maximum spectral sensitivity near 555 nm; the other has its maximum near 450 nm. The former cone system produces a much larger signal with characteristics of a typical cone or inhibitory ERG. The latter cone system produces a small, saturable signal (less than 5 microV) which resembles a rodlike or excitatory ERC. The results imply that the latter ERG is generated by blue-sensitive cones, which form a small fraction of the total cone population and share some physiological and perhaps anatomical properties of rods.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D004596:Electroretinography; D009880:Ophthalmic Artery; D010477:Perfusion; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology*