Novel identification of the different types of cones in the retina of the chicken.

Abstract

1. Although single cones and double cones in the chicken retina had been documented for more than 30 years, the exact morphology of these cells had never been studied by the scanning electronmicroscopy. In this brief report, we present the evidence for the first time the existence of two types of single cones and three types of double cones (termed as types A, B. and C), each with distinct morphology. 2. The proportion of type A:type B:type C double cones, as estimated from the midperipheral and central regions of our scanning specimens, was about 30%:50%:20%. 3. Based on the literature data that red oil droplets reside in single cones and yellow oil droplets in chief cones of the double cones, the proportion of single to double cones was deciphered and the relative proportion was estimated to be 1:0.91 in the central region, 1:0.92 in the midperiphery, and 1:0.84 in the periphery.