It is in reference to the structure of the retina and vitreous body of
the complex eyes that I have found myself unable to come to the same
conclusions as Claus and Schewiakoff. Since the work of the latter goes
much further into the detail of the subject than does Claus’s paper, it
will be sufficient for me to compare my results simply with those of
Schewiakoff.
The latter finds that the retina is composed of two kinds of cells,
corresponding to the supporting and sensory cells referred to in the
description of the nerve ring. These he figures (’89, Taf. II, Figs.
12 and 13) as alternating regularly. The two kinds of cells differ as
follows:
(1) Shape. The supporting cells like those referred to before, are
cone-shaped, having a proximal fibrous process that runs into the
underlying stratum of nerve fibres, and on the surface of the retina a
broad distal pigmented termination. The sensory cells are spindle-shaped,
the proximal processes becoming continuous with fibres of the underlying
nervous mass, while the distal process runs up to the surface of the
retina (the part toward the lens) in between the ends of the supporting
cell. The two kinds of cells are accordingly designated as pigment and
visual.
(2) Position of nucleus. This comes in as a corollary of the shape.
The nuclei of the visual cells lie in the enlarged central part of the
spindle-shape, and, therefore, at a lower level than the nuclei of the
alternating pigment cells.
(3) Processes in the vitreous body. The distal processes of the
spindle-shaped visual cells are continued through the vitreous body to
the cells of the lens as rod-like visual fibres which lie in canals in
the (supposedly) homogeneous vitreous body. The pigment cells on the
other hand have no fibres passing from them through the vitreous body,
but in the latter are situated cone-shaped masses of pigment whose bases
rest upon the broad ends of the pigment cells without, however, being a
part of the cell.
(4) Pigment. The distal ends of the pigment cells in the retina are
strongly pigmented, as the name implies. The processes of the visual
cells, which alternate with these, are pigmented likewise, but the
pigment is not so abundant and lies in the periphery of the cell body,
leaving free a highly refracting central axis.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account