Electrophysiology and anatomy of medulla interneurons in the optic lobe of the cockroach,Periplaneta americana

1. Medulla interneurons of the optic lobe of P. americana were studied to determine their spectral properties. These neurons exhibited tonic firing which changed with monochromatic broadfield illumination of the ipsilateral eye. The response patterns of these neurons were analyzed by inferring their relation to the ultraviolet (UV) and green (G) photoreceptor groups of the eye. Their anatomy was described after injection of Lucifer yellow. 2. Broadband neurons received either excitatory or inhibitory input from both UV and G receptors. These neurons were not strictly sensitive to luminosity levels and had large cell bodies in the central rind of the medulla and wide dendritic arbors in the medulla neuropil. 3. Narrow band neurons received input from predominantly one receptor type. Their spectral sensitivity curves were more finely tuned than those of the primary receptors presumably due to neural interactions within the optic lobe. 4. Color opponent neurons were inhibited by UV and excited by G inputs in their sustained response. Under certain conditions, some of these neurons also showed G inhibition. These neurons suggested the presence of a subsystem involved in color vision. 5. Broadband, narrow band and color opponent properties were seen in some single neurons when tested over a 5-6 log unit range of intensity. The responses of some of these neurons changed when stimulus duration was increased. These findings indicated that functional classification for these neurons was dependent on stimulus intensity and duration. 6. Polarizational sensitivity was tested in preliminary experiments. Two neurons responded to the movement and direction of polarized light.