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Alan Sleater
Bio Lab 1615-020
7/18/2014
S. Annette Shelton
Direction Selectivity in Retinal Starburst Amacrine Cells
Look up, down, fallow the pen, look forward, and look straicht at me. These are some of
the things that a doctor will tell you when you are getting an eye exam, but what are they really
looking at? And what, on the cellular level, is going on inside your eye? In A Dendrite-
Autonomous Mechanism for Direction Selectivity in Retinal Starburst Amacrine Cells a group
of scientists, Susanne E. Hausselt, Thomas Euler, Winfried Denk, all from the Department of
Biochemical Optics, Max-Plank Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany, and Peter
B. Detwiler, from the Department of Physiology of Biophysics, University of Washington,
Seattle, Washington, United States, study the cells inside your eye that detects motion, starburst
amacrine cells. The scientists used rabbits to study the structure of the eye by using different
tests and to see what causes the eye to detect motion. This information is important to us today
because the more we understand about how the eye works, the more we will know how to cure
problems in the retina, which is a very sensitive organ. As scientists understand more about the
eye through identification experiments with rabbit eyes, recording and comparing their findings,
then discussing their findings, they will understand more about the natural function of starburst
sells.
The main material that the scientist used to study starburst cells were from rabbit eyes.
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To prepare the subject for testing, the rabbits were placed in a dark room for two or more hours.
After adaption for two or more hours, rabbits were deeply anesthetized (Denk, 1490). This was
the starting point of the tests. The eye was injected with a fluorecent indicator so that observation
would be easier. The tools that was used were a patch pipet, used for scratching, blowing, or
adding fluids, and light provided to see the specimen was a dim red illumination.
The scientists recorded and compared their experiments to find out the origin of direction
sensitivity. First, they started by observing the flow of the voltage indicator when exposed to
light. The cells responded in two ways, towards the dendritic tips or towards the soma. The cell
had more motion toward the dendritic tips then towards the soma. The scientists then found that
each cell had its own inhibitor that blocked voltage from traveling in the direction of the soma.
So the scientists added the same inhibitor into the solution to see if there would be different
results. Even with a full cocktail of inhibitors, which eliminates all lateral interactions, the
electrical response remained strongly (direction sensitive) (Denk, 1479). After trying to see if
the cell would react differently with inhibitors, the cell still had a preference in voltage traveling
toward the dendritic tips.
After trying different experiments on the starburst cells, the scientists discussed their
findings to understand more about the cells. By gathering their information from the original
formation of the cells and the test model that they made, there were a few things that they saw
that were consistent with their results. The model is also consistent with our experimental data
in that (1) (direction sensitivity) is stronger for the second harmonic, (2) direction sensitivity is
voltage dependent, (3) direction sensitivity is largely independent of stimulus contrast, and (4) in
the absence of distal stimulation, (fundamental frequency) for (centripetal stimuli) increases
(Denk, 1488). Despite the external forces on the starburst cells, the direction sensitivity was
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always toward the dendritic tips. This information will help scientists understand motion seen in
the natural eye.
As scientists study the eye and starburst cells through experimental observation,
comparing their findings, and discus the function of the cells, the medical world will understand
more about the natural functions within the natural eye. Starburst cells are very independent cells
and can work under many conditions within the eye. When the cells are forced to work without
the natural fluid in the soma, the cells can use their own direction sensitive receptors regardless
of the surrounding solution. So, the next time you see the doctor for an eye exam, you can feel
confident in knowing that your eyes are functioning normal.











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works cited
Denk, Winfried. Detwiler, Peter B. Euler, Thomas. Hausselt, Susanne E. A Dendrite-
Autonomous Mechanism for Direction Selectivity in Retinal Starburst Amacrine Cells.
plosbiology.org. Web. 10 July 2007. 7 July 2014.