Morphological evidence for parallel processing of information in rat macula.
Study of montages, tracings and reconstructions prepared from a series of 570 consecutive ultrathin sections shows that rat maculas are morphologically organized for parallel processing of linear acceleratory information. Type II cells of one terminal field distribute information to neighboring terminals as well. The findings are examined in light of physiological data which indicate that macular receptor fields have a preferred directional vector, and are interpreted by analogy to a computer technology known as an information network.
D008267:Acoustic Maculae / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D012444:Saccule and Utricle / Q000648:ultrastructure*