title: Ontogenesis of the electroretinogram in a precocial mammal, the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus).
abstract: 1. Ontogenesis of the electroretinogram, the mass electrical response of the retina to flash light stimuli, was studied in the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), a precocial species with visual function at birth. 2. a-Wave components, b-wave, oscillatory potentials, slow PIII, and c-wave responses to flash stimuli developed between 55 and 64 days of gestation (full term is 68-69 days). 3. a-Waves attributable to photoreceptor functions were fully mature at 60 days. 4. ERG development lagged behind the reported critical milestones in retinal development; its prenatal onset indicates that no history of light entrainment is required for initiation of a mature ERG response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wyse
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Spira
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D004596:Electroretinography; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006168:Guinea Pigs / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology