References ............................................... 59 Subject Index ............................................. 65 6 Introduction The retina as an organ of perception of light, colour, shape and movement has been the subject of numerous and intensive light- and electron-microscopical investigations. To date the interest in these has largely been concentrated on the structure of the ma ture retina and the genesis of its cellular elements. The first exhaustive observations on the development of the retina in vertebrates were made by Babuchin (1863). Using the retinae of chicken embryos, he showed that Millier's radial fibres and the ganglion cells are the first to develop, while the receptor segments are the last. Subsequently, the early differentiation of Millier's radial fibres was often reaffirmed (Cajal, 1893; Meller, 1968; Bhattacharjee and Sanyal, 1975; and others). Furthermore, Babuchin had already indicated that the structural development in the area of the posterior pole is very rapid compared with those regions of the retina which are situated more peripherally. Today, when comparing results of electron-mi croscopical investigations, this fact is of particular importance, since in each case only very limited areas of the retina can be examined. Schultze (1867a, b) pointed out the uniformity of origin and the general classifica tion of light-perceiving elements into inner and outer segments, thus contesting the hitherto generally held opinion that these structures, like the pigment epithelium, ori of the eye cup. In 1881 Ogneff discovered the analogous ginate from the outer leaf mode of formation in birds and mammals.
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Material and Methods.- Results.- 1. Qualitative Morphological Results.- 1.1. Internal Limiting Membran.- 1.2. Nerve Fibre and Ganglion Cell Layer.- 1.3. Inner Plexiform Layer.- 1.4. Inner Nuclear Layer.- 1.5. Outer Plexiform Layer.- 1.6. Outer Nuclear Layer.- 1.7. External Limiting Membrane.- 1.8. Inner and Outer Segments.- 1.9. Pigment Epithelium.- 1.10. Choriocapillaris and Bruch's Membrane.- 1.11. Tapetum Lucidum Cellulosum.- 2. Quantitative Results.- 2.1. General Remarks.- 2.1.1. Morphometric Results.- 2.1.2. Determination of Layer Thicknesses by Light Microscope.- 2.1.3. Comparison of Results Obtained by Light- and Electron Microscope.- 2.2. Discussion of the Quantitative Results.- 2.2.1. Non-Nerve Retinal Structures.- 2.2.1.1. RetinalGlia.- 2.2.1.2. Retinal Blood Vessels.- 2.2.2. Intercellular Spaces.- 2.2.3. Retinal Structures Outside the External Limiting Membrane.- 2.2.4. Nuclear Layers of the Neural Retina.- 2.2.4.1. Outer Nuclear Layer.- 2.2.4.2. Inner Nuclear Layer.- 2.2.4.3. Ganglion Cell Layer.- 2.2.4.4. Comparison of the Retinal Nuclear Layers.- 2.2.5. Neuropile Layers of the Retina.- 2.2.5.1. Outer Plexiform Layer.- 2.2.5.2. Inner Plexiform Layer.- 2.2.5.3. Nerve Fibre Layer.- 2.2.5.4. Comparison of the Neuropile Layers.- 2.2.6. Total Thicknesses of Retinae.- Discussion.- Summary.- References.