spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


spacer gif
     Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents    

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by NALBACH, H.-O.
Right arrow Articles by VARJÚ, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by NALBACH, H.-O.
Right arrow Articles by VARJÚ, D.
Journal of Experimental Biology 119,103-114 (1985)
Published by Company of Biologists 1985

Light-Dependent Eye Coupling during the Optokinetic Response of the Crab Carcinus Maenas (L.)

H.-O. NALBACH 1, P. THIER 2, and D. VARJÚ 1

1 Lehrstuhl für Biokybernetik, Universität Tübingen, F.R.G.
2 Lehrstuhl für Biokybernetik, Universität Tübingen, F.R.G.; Neurologische Klinik der Universität, Tübingen, Federal Republic of Germany

1. The movements of both distal eye stalks in the horizontal plane, elicited by optokinetic stimuli, have been recorded simultaneously.

2. A panorama was split into two separate halves and was either oscillated around the animal in a sinusoidal fashion or displaced in a stepwise manner. Both eyes could be stimulated independently.

3. The stimuli on both sides differed either (a) in the illumination, or (b) in the total amount of light impinging upon the eyes or (c) in the relative phase of the sinusoidal stimuli to either eye.

4. As the illumination decreases the optokinetic response weakens.

5. If one eye has no or only weak optokinetic input, it will be driven by the other eye. The response mediated by the contralateral optokinetic stimulus diminishes if the amount of light impinging upon the driven eye is increased.

6. There is a logarithmic relationship between the response of the driving eye and that of the driven eye.

7. The possible biological significance of these relationships is seen in the enhanced coupling at low light intensities.

8. The variable strength of coupling and possible roles of movable eyes are discussed.

Key words: Crab, optokinetics, binocular interaction

Accepted on April 15, 1985






© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1985