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Differential elasticity of the immature retina: A contribution to the development of the area centralis?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

Steven T. Kelling ,
Dale R. Sengelaub ,
Kenneth C. Wikler  and
Barbara L. Finlay
Steven T. Kelling
Affiliation:
Field of Physiology, Cornell University, Ithaca
Dale R. Sengelaub
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington
Kenneth C. Wikler
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Uris Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca
Barbara L. Finlay
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Uris Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca
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Abstract

Differential stretch of a retinal surface with an initially uniform cell density has been repeatedly implicated as one of the developmental mechanisms that produces the topographic organization of cell density in the adult retina, notably the area centralis or visual streak versus peripheral regions. It is known that intraocular pressure is required to produce the normal conformation and thinning of the retina during development. We tested the possibility that the retina has elastic properties that might permit differential stretch in conjunction with intraocular pressure. The relative deformation of the retina containing the presumptive area centralis was compared to the deformation of peripheral retina at equivalent applied fluid displacements in 7–12-day-old cats. The peripheral retina deformed significantly more, consistent with the hypothesis that differences in the local elasticities of the developing neural retina contribute to its characteristic topographic changes. Thus, a biomechanical property of the growing eye may contribute to the mechanism by which the pattern of the visual array is sampled.

Keywords

Retinal specializationsArea centralisVisual streakRetinal stretchRetinal GrowthDevelopment
Type
Research Articles
Information
Visual Neuroscience , Volume 2 , Issue 2 , February 1989 , pp. 117 - 120
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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