The distribution of centrifugal terminals in the pigeon retina

The terminals of the centrifugal fibres of the pigeon retina have been labelled by anterograde axonal transport or diffusion of horseradish peroxidase, and their distribution studied in whole amounts of the retina. Centrifugal terminal arborisations are concentrated in a band near the projection of the horizontal meridian on the retina. Within this band there are high density areas next to the area centralis and in the mid-temporal retina. The arborisations are largely absent from the red field and are nearly randomly arrayed. Their distribution resembles that of the displaced ganglion cells but not of other retinal neurons. We estimate that approximately 7,000 centrifugal terminal arborisations are present in each retina. Approximately two-thirds of these are convergent, with branches ending in large terminals clustered around a single cell in the amacrine sublayer; often penetrating up to 10 microns into the inner nuclear layer. The remainder are divergent endings which innervate a larger area of retina with widely spaced small terminals about 1 micron in diameter. Possible synaptic contacts between centrifugal terminals and displaced ganglion cells are occasionally seen; these contacts and the similarity in distribution suggest a link between the centrifugal and accessory optic systems.