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M G FUORTES

Publications and source records attributed to M G FUORTES.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1965

ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN VISUAL CELLS IN THE OMMATIDIUM OF LIMULUS.

When microelectrodes are inserted in two cells of the same ommatidium in Limulus, current applied through the membrane of one cell produces a change in potential across the membrane of both cells. The large spikes recorded from one cell and the small spikes recorded from the other always appear synchronously. However, the small spikes are abolished selectively during the hyperpolarizing response. The discrete waves recorded from eyes adapted to darkness occur simultaneously in cells of the same ommatidium.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed1964

PROBABILITY OF OCCURRENCE OF DISCRETE POTENTIAL WAVES IN THE EYE OF LIMULUS.

Discrete potential waves can be recorded from cells in the eye of Limulus both in darkness and in dim illumination. With constant illumination the frequency of these waves is linearly related to light intensity and the distribution of intervals between waves follows an exponential function. The latency of waves evoked by short flashes of light is usually long and variable and the number of waves evoked by a flash varies randomly, obeying approximately a Poisson distribution. The results of experiments with flashes of light have been compared with the predictions derived from the hypotheses that one, two, or three quanta of light are required for production of one wave. The agreement of the data with the theory can be considered acceptable for the "one quantum" hypothesis, is less satisfactory for the "two quanta" hypothesis, and is very poor for the "three quanta" hypothesis.

Adaptation, Ocular↗
PubMed1963

VISUAL RESPONSES IN THE EYE OF THE DRAGON FLY.

Responses to illumination recorded from cells in the eye of the dragonfly are similar to responses of cells in the eye of Limulus and are affected in the same manner by currents through the cell membrane. It appears probable that visual responses are brought about by the same processes in the two species.

Animals↗
PubMed1963

Strychnine: its action on spinal motoneurons of cats.

In cats strychnine does not alter measurably the potential, threshold, after potentials, or refractoriness of the membrane of the spinal motoneurons. Increased reflexes probably result from increase of excitatory impingement upon motoneurons. Spikes recorded during a rapid succession of nerve impulses produced by strychnine ("strychnine burst") suggest that soma membrane resistance is appreciable during stimulation.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1963

Transient responses to sudden illumination in cells of the eye of Limulus.

Responses recorded from visual cells of Limulus (presumably eccentric cells) following abrupt and maintained illumination consist of depolarization with superimposed spikes. Both the depolarization and the frequency of firing are greater at the beginning of the response than later on. Frequency of firing decreases with time also during stimulation with constant currents, but the decay is then less than it is during constant illumination. Early and steady-state responses do not increase in the same proportion following illumination at different intensities. Membrane conductance is higher during the early peak of the response than in steady state. Early and late potential changes appear to tend to the same equilibrium value. The results support the assumptions that: (a) discharge of impulses is the consequence of depolarization of a specialized "pacemaker region" in the axon; (b) depolarization induced by light is the consequence of increase of membrane conductance. The major conductance changes occurring during constant illumination may be due to corresponding changes of the "stimulus" supplied by the photoreceptor or to changes of sensitivity of the eccentric cell's membrane to this stimulus. Some accessory phenomena may be the consequence of regenerative properties of the nerve cell itself.

Animals↗
PubMed1962

Interpretation of the repetitive firing of nerve cells.

Eccentric cells of Limulus respond with repetitive firing to sustained depolarizing currents. Following stimulation with a step of current, latency is shorter than first interval and later intervals increase progressively. A shock of intensity twice threshold can evoke firing 25 msec. after an impulse. But in the same cell, a current step twice rheobase evokes a second impulse more than 50 msec. after the first, and current intensity must be raised to over five times rheobase to obtain a first interval of about 25 msec. Repetitive firing was evoked by means of trains of shocks. With stimuli of moderate intensity, firing was evoked by only some of the shocks and intervals between successive impulses increased with time. This is ascribed to accumulation of refractoriness with successive impulses. Higher frequencies of firing are obtained with shocks of intensity n x threshold than with constant currents of intensity n x rheobase. It is concluded that prolonged currents depress the processes leading to excitation and that (in the cells studied) repetitive firing is controlled both by the after-effects of firing (refractoriness) and by the depressant effects of sustained stimuli (accommodation). Development of subthreshold "graded activity" is an important process leading to excitation of eccentric cells, but is not the principal factor determining frequency of firing in response to constant currents.

Animals↗
PubMed1959

Voltage clamp of motoneuron soma.

Concentric microelectrodes were used to voltage-clamp spinal motoneurons. With depolarizing voltage steps, current transients often appear, with some latency and in all-or-none fashion. Voltage-current relations indicate a two- to threefold reduction in resistance between inside and outside when the cell fires. These results suggest that activity does not involve the whole soma-dendritic membrane.

Carisoprodol↗
PubMed1957

Steps in the production of motoneuron spikes.

1. Spikes evoked in spinal motoneurons by antidromic stimulation normally present an inflection in their rising phase. A similar inflection is present in spikes evoked by direct stimulation with short pulses. 2. In either case the inflection becomes less prominent if the motoneuron membrane is depolarized and more prominent when it is hyperpolarized. Both antidromic and direct spikes may fall from the level of the inflection thus evoking a "small spike" only if sufficient hyperpolarization is applied. Similar events occur when antidromic or direct spikes are evoked in the aftermath of a preceding spike. 3. Spikes evoked by direct stimuli applied shortly after firing of a "small spike" may also become partially blocked at a critical stimulus interval. At shorter intervals, however, spike size again increases and no inflection can be detected in the rising phase. 4. When a weak direct stimulus evokes a small spike only, a stronger stimulus may evoke a full spike. Curves of the strength of the stimuli required for eliciting small or full spikes have been constructed in a number of conditions. 5. To explain the results it is assumed that threshold of the major portions of the soma membrane is higher than the threshold of the axon, the transition occurring over a finite area near the axon hillock. Following antidromic or direct stimulation, soma excitation is then initiated in the region of the axon hillock. Spread of activity towards the soma occurs at first slowly and with low safety factor. At this stage block may be easily evoked. Safety factor for propagation increases rapidly as the growing impulse involves larger and larger areas of the soma membrane so that, once the critical areas are excited, activation of the remaining portions of the soma membrane will suddenly occur.

Motor Neurons↗