Visual system plasticity begins in the retina.
Visual experience is known to induce developmental plasticity in visual cortex; now, Tian and Copenhagen report that experience regulates the development of retinal circuitry itself. Both pruning of retinal ganglion dendrites into ON or OFF sublamina and the emergence of pure ON versus OFF responses require visual experience.
Feller
Marla B
MB
Neurobiology Section 0357, Division of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
D000818:Animals; D003624:Darkness; D003712:Dendrites / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D012683:Sensory Deprivation / Q000502:physiology; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology