Summary
The relationships between luminance and height, width or area of the feline pupil were investigated in awake, normal adult cats whose pupils were photographed over a range of light levels with the aid of electronic flash. The results are compared with previous measurements of pupil width and height in awake animals (Kappauf 1943); and with estimates of pupil width, height and area in lightly-anaesthetised cats (Wilcox and Barlow 1975). The implications of these results for retinal illumination and colour discrimination are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ahmed B (1981) The size and shape of rod and cone centres of cat retinal ganglion cells. Exp Brain Res 43: 422–428
Ahmed B, Hammond P, Nothdurft H-C (1977) A reappraisal of the feline mesopic range. J Physiol (London) 266: 94P
Andrews DP, Hammond P (1970a) Mesopic increment threshold spectral sensitivity of single optic tract fibres in the cat: conerod interaction. J Physiol (London) 209: 65–81
Andrews DP, Hammond P (1970b) Suprathreshold spectral properties of single optic tract fibres in the cat, under mesopic adaptation: cone-rod interaction. J Physiol (London) 213: 475–494
Daw NW, Pearlman AL (1970) Cat colour vision: evidence for more than one cone process. J Physiol (London) 211: 125–137
Daw NW, Pearlman AL (1971) Rod saturation in the cat. Vision Res 11: 1361–1364
Hammond P (1972) Chromatic sensitivity and spatial organization of LGN neurone receptive fields in cat: cone-rod interaction. J Physiol (London) 225: 391–413
Hammond P (1974) Cat retinal ganglion cells: size and shape of receptive field centres. J Physiol (London) 242: 99–118
Hammond P (1975) Receptive field mechanisms of sustained and transient retinal ganglion cells in the cat. Exp Brain Res 23: 113–128
Hammond P (1978) The neural basis for colour discrimination in the domestic cat. Vision Res 18: 233–235
Hammond P, James CR (1971) The Purkinje shift in cat: extent of the mesopic range. J Physiol (London) 216: 99–109
Kappauf WE (1943) Variation in the size of the cat's pupil as a function of stimulus brightness. J Comp Psychol 36: 125–131
McCann JJ (1972) Rod-cone interactions: different colour sensations from identical stimuli. Science 176: 1255–1257
McCann JJ, Benton JL (1969) Interaction of the long wavelength cones and the rods to produce colour sensations. J Opt Soc Am 59: 103–107
Mouat GSV (1983) A neurophysiological study of colour vision in the domestic cat. PhD Thesis: University of Keele; October 1983
Mouat GSV (1984a) Photoreceptor inputs to sustained and transient cells in cat lateral geniculate nucleus. J Physiol (London) 351: 11P
Mouat GSV (1984b) Colour opponent cone-rod interactions in cat lateral geniculate nucleus. J Physiol (London) 353: 20P
Mouat GSV (1985) Photoreceptor inputs to cat lateral geniculate nucleus cells. Exp Brain Res (in press)
Vakkur GJ, Bishop PO (1963) The schematic eye in the cat. Vision Res 3: 357–381
Vakkur GJ, Bishop PO, Kozak W (1963) Visual optics in the cat, including posterior nodal distance and retinal landmarks. Vision Res 3: 289–314
Wilcox JG, Barlow HB (1975) The size and shape of the pupil in lightly anaesthetized cats as a function of luminance. Vision Res 15: 1363–1365
Woodhouse JM, Campbell FW (1975) The role of the pupil light reflex in aiding adaptation to the dark. Vision Res 15: 649–653
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hammond, P., Mouat, G.S.V. The relationship between feline pupil size and luminance. Exp Brain Res 59, 485–490 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261338
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261338