Late events in the migrative behaviour of the retinal ganglion cells. A Golgi study in the chick retina

Abstract

The final displacement of the prospective ganglion neurons toward the ganglion cell layer (GCL) has been analyzed in chicken embryos during days 8 and 9 of incubation with the help of the Golgi method and computer-assisted image processing. Our findings indicate that some ganglionar soma are still located in the inner nuclear layer (INL) while others pierce the inner plexiform layer (IPL), exhibiting morphological adaptation of their perikaryon. The changing morphology of these delayed retinal ganglion neuroblasts seems to be due to the late translocation of the cell perikaryon to the GCL. This late migrative displacement of the ganglionar population is discussed in relation to the presence of displaced ganglion cells of Dogiel.