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A neuronal circuitry for relative movement discrimination by the visual system of the fly

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Abstract

We propose the basic structure of a neuronal circuitry possibly underlying the detection of discontinuities in the optical flow by the visual system of the housefly. The main features of the circuitry are: binocular cells summate elementary movement detectors over a large visual field and inhibit each one of them; inhibition is of the shunting type, with an inhibitory equilibrium potential very near the resting potential. A specific model implementing our proposal accounts for all the behavioral data on relative movement discrimination, including the characteristic dynamics of the response.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institut für biologische Kybernetik, D-7400, Tübingen

    T. Poggio, W. Reichardt & K. Hausen

Authors
  1. T. Poggio
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  2. W. Reichardt
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  3. K. Hausen
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Additional information

We would like to thank L. Heimburger for drawing the figures, I. Geiss for typing the manuscript and B. Rosser for reading an early version of it.

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Poggio, T., Reichardt, W. & Hausen, K. A neuronal circuitry for relative movement discrimination by the visual system of the fly. Naturwissenschaften 68, 443–446 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01047513

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01047513

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