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S-Potentials

  • Chapter
Physiology of Photoreceptor Organs

Part of the book series: Handbook of Sensory Physiology ((1536,volume 7 / 2))

Abstract

S-potential is a term that describes a unique response to light which can be detected when relatively fine micro-pipette electrodes are inserted into certain regions of the inner nuclear layer of the retina. This response is of large amplitude (10 to 50 mV), usually negative, superimposed on a negative resting potential (10 to 50 mV) and maintained for the duration of light stimulation (Fig. 1). The response was discovered by Svaetichin (1953) in fish retina and subsequently named “S -potential” by Motokowa (see Tomita et al., 1959) not only to acknowledge the discoverer but also to introduce a non-committal term that did not assume any specific cellular origin for S-potentials since this remained in doubt for some time after their discovery.

Fig. 1. Recordings of S-potentials elicited at different durations (A 500, B150, C20, D5, E0.5msec) of light stimuli (constant intensity and amplification). Time marks: 70 msec. Light stimulus marked on time scale (Svaetichin, 1953)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Peter Gouras

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  1. Peter Gouras
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Institutes of Health, Room 2C02, Building 36, Bethesda, Maryland, 20014, USA

    M. G. F. Fuortes

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Gouras, P. (1972). S-Potentials. In: Fuortes, M.G.F. (eds) Physiology of Photoreceptor Organs. Handbook of Sensory Physiology, vol 7 / 2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65340-7_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65340-7_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-65342-1

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